Tai chi or shaolin kungfu?

which one is more powerful

Apparently the popular misconception that Tai Chi Chuan is simply an exercise or only for meditation runs rampant in the martial arts section of Answers too! How disheartening!

Tai Chi Chuan is roughly translated to "Supreme Ultimate Fist" and is actually a rather devastating martial art when sped up to real time or actual application. There are several reasons as to why it is practiced slowly, among them:
a) Tai Chi Chuan has no basics (such as external martial arts where one can do punching or kicking drills, etc.),
b) Tai Chi Chuan is considered moving meditation, and
c) health benefits of Tai Chi Chuan were realized when practiced slowly, such as massaging the internal organs and, if you believe in this sort of thing, allowing chi to flow freely by eliminating any blockages that occur in meridians in the body.
Beyond this, Tai Chi Chuan has different lineages such as Yang, Wu, old Wu, Sun, and Chen - all of which have noticible differences. For reference, though, most practice Yang (that's what you see the old folks doing in the park).

"Kung Fu" is a general term that essentially means "to work hard" and is a blanket term that covers all Chinese martial arts. This being the case, Tai Chi Chuan is kung fu! It is not Shaolin in origin, however, as Shaolin is based in the Hunan province and follows Buddhist teachings whereas Tai Chi Chuan likely began in Wudang and follows Taoist scriptures.

To ask which is more powerful is to ask which religion is best. You can ask a hundred different people and get a hundred different answers. One can't honestly answer your question. Source(s): over 17 years practicing

I just wanted to say thanks for all the votes! This is the largest turn out I've seen. Thanks again, and I hope I helped!

kung fu....tai chi is done slowly and calmer
kung fu if you want to be more about your body
Tai Chi if you want it to be more about your mind

They are both good.
I like kung fu myself :)
Wing Chun.