The monk Pak Mei was one of the five elder monks of Shaolin Temple, Songshan, Province of Henan, China. Pak Mei lived during the Qing Dynasty (Emperor Qian Lung era). Very little is known about him. Pak Mei, translated from Cantonese, literally means "white brow".
Pak Mei passed on the art to Gwong Wai, second generation, in Sichuan province.
The art was then passed on to the third generation, Chuk Fat Wan. In Kwong How Temple, Guangzhou
The Monk Chuk Fat Wan passed on the art to Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen, the fourth generation of Pak Mei Kung Fu. Traditionally, Pak Mei Kung Fu was only passed on to Buddhist monks. Master Cheung Lai Chuen was the first to pass the art on to the public and formally name the style Pak Mei.
Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen was born in 1889, during the Qing Dynasty. He was enthusiastic in practising martial arts. In his life, he had learned martial arts from four martial arts Masters. The last Master was the monk Chuk Fat Wan, 3rd generation master of Pak Mei. Though he admired the essence of Pak Mei martial arts, he did not forget the teachings from his former three Masters. He decided to combine what he learned in the past wiith Pak Mei concepts utilizing the waist, footwork and power.
Master Cheung Lai Chuen opened his first Martial Art School in Wai On Lane, Guangdong. He also had been a military instructor for Wong Poe Military Academy. After the Second World War, he moved to Hong Kong with his three sons and continued his teaching.