Shaolin Buddhist monastery in China is the cradle of martial arts. Almost all martial arts originated here, and the combat skills of Shaolin monks are legendary.
Shaolin Buddhist monastery in China is the cradle of martial arts. Almost all martial arts originated here, and the combat skills of Shaolin monks are legendary.
The Buddhist monastery is located in central China, Henan province, near the city of Dengfeng, on Mount Song.
The monastery was founded in 495 AD by the Indian Buddhist monk Bhadra with the support of Emperor Xiao Wen Di. The monastery had become famous as a center of martial arts by as early as 620 AD.
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© RIA Novosti . Sergei Pyatakov
In 1928, the warlord Shi Yousan set fire to the Shaolin monastery, after which it lay in ruins for almost half a century. Later, the Chinese authorities turned to masters of Wushu (Chinese martial arts) familiar with the Shaolin tradition to restore the monastery.
After the release of the 1982 film “Shaolin Temple,” the monastery’s popularity spread across China, with many novices flocking there to practice and study Buddhism.
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© RIA Novosti . Sergei Pyatakov
In 1986, Sinchzhen, who since 1951 had voluntarily performed the duties of guardian of the monastery, was appointed its abbot. He died in 1987. After his death, Shi Yongxing was elected abbot of the Songshan Shaolin Monastery by popular vote of the Zen Buddhist community.
There are many martial arts schools that trace their origins back to Shaolin. Among the schools that claim to have spiritual kinship with the Shaolin Temple are the Chinese School of Shaolin Chuan and Japanese Shorinji Kempo.
The acclaim of Shaolin in popular culture has caused it to grow, with major investments made to develop the region and promote tourism.
There are many commercial martial arts schools for foreign tourists inside the monastery and around it.
In 1994, Yanming Shi, a 34th generation Shaolin monk, founded a Shaolin temple in the United States. In this temple, the philosophy of Chan Buddhism is taught to disciples through the practice of martial arts or meditation techniques, such as Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong.
