It seems the history of Tai Chi can be traced back to Buddhist and Taoist temples. Though the history of Tai Chi is mostly told from a modern perspective of legend, it would appear that many Buddhist and Taoist theories and practices are apparent in the teachings of Tai Chi. Some believe that the martial art form was founded by Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century. Others purport that it was founded by the Chen family in 1820 who then taught it to the Yang family. It was around that time that the Neo-Confucians were beginning their climb into the intellectual side of Chinese life.