Two students practice martial arts at Chanxinju Homestay. [Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]
Homestay havens
In Yangjiamen village, 5 km from Shaolin Temple, residential courtyards with old brick and mud walls, small bridges, flowing water, and scattered rocks, trees and fields create a picturesque rural landscape.
In 2018, Yangjiamen was listed in the fifth group of China's traditional villages.
Much of the village is now Chanxinju Homestay, or Zen Mind Homestay. Chanxinju has established a traditional cultural study center that integrates food and lodging, Shaolin Kung Fu and a rural lifestyle. It has also co-founded the Qingnong School (Songshan Mountain) Rural Development Research Institute in conjunction with Tsinghua University.
Liu Shaoli, manager of Chanxinju, said before 2011 it was a desolate and abandoned village. Due to its location in a hollow of the mountain and inconvenient transportation access, the villagers had gradually moved out and left behind the dilapidated old buildings.
The founder of Chanxinju, Lu Hailong, is from a rural family in Liyang, Jiangsu. Lu spent over 10 years repairing the old village houses with the idea of preserving the past for future generations to enjoy.
Two students practice martial arts at Chanxinju Homestay. [Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]
The first completed courtyard, Chongshan Academy, began operations in 2014, offering enrollments to students from Lu's martial arts school and organizing a series of traditional cultural experience courses and summer and winter study programs. The renovated buildings opened in 2018, with 13 guest rooms for visitors.
"The interiors feature simple Zen-style modern facilities, along with a vegetarian restaurant, a cafe, and a camping and barbecue area, attracting many young people from nearby cities such as Zhengzhou and Luoyang to visit, take photos, experience nature, and enjoy the quiet and old-style rural life," said Liu, the manager.
Historically, the village was an important stop on the way to Shaolin Temple and Luoyang, she added. "The village has a long history, and there are many ancient trees and buildings around it worth exploring. It is even more beautiful on rainy days when the mountain villages are shrouded in clouds, it's like a fairyland," Liu said.
During long holidays like Spring Festival, Chanxinju receives many tourists from across the country. Every summer, Lu Hailong's foreign martial arts disciples bring their friends who love Shaolin Kung Fu to study in the village, said the founder.
[Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]
Russian disciples
While changes are happening on the ground, Shaolin culture is also strengthening its foothold overseas.
In January, Russian Oleg Gizatullin, or Shi Yanfu by his monastic name, returned to Shaolin Temple to participate in a Shaolin Kung Fu examination. The 56-year-old has practiced kung fu for more than 30 years.
Gizatullin was accompanied by his 36-year-old wife Svetlana Vsemirnova, or Shi Yanbin, who has practiced Shaolin Kung Fu for 13 years. The pair have established the St. Petersburg Shaolin Culture Center at a sports school in St. Petersburg, which currently has over 30 students.
"Every morning we practice Shaolin Kung Fu by the banks of the Volga River, starting with qigong and meditation," Gizatullin said.
Vsemirnova, who spent four years studying at the Harbin Institute of Technology and is fluent in Chinese, said Shaolin Kung Fu culture has helped her spiritual cultivation. She said everyone encounters different issues and finds their own way to heal themselves.
"Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing qigong regularly has been greatly beneficial in improving our lung and heart functions, enhancing our immunity and alleviating anxiety caused by the pandemic," Vsemirnova said.
"Now, every friend around us has been influenced by Shaolin culture. They come to us for help when facing problems, and we teach them qigong to relieve depression and stress, promoting self-cultivation."
She said she hoped to eventually live in Dengfeng for a lengthy period and further her studies of Shaolin culture.
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