Inside the kung fu temple
Shaolin a fascinating glimpse into ancient Chinese culture
By Jenny Yuen ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Sunday, October 02, 2011 12:00 AM EDT
DENGFENG, China -- It's the setting of Jackie Chan's latest film (Shaolin) and Chinese movie star Jet Li's first film (1982's Shaolin Temple).
Featured in dozens of other productions, it's nothing like what you see in the many martial arts films produced by Shaw Brothers Studios either.
The moment you enter Shaolin Temple, an unspoken air of respect shadows you. A calming sense lingers as you walk along stone-tiled paths that lead up to the monasteries, soaking up thousands of years of tradition.
This is the place where Zen Buddhism was born and where kung-fu masters are trained.
Tourists are ushered into a darkened theatre, where half a dozen monks demonstrate kung-fu skills: Leaning their body weight on spears positioned at their throats; using a pin to break a pane of glass and burst a balloon on the other side.
There are 60 martial arts schools in Dengfeng with more than 10,000 students enrolled in the largest one. Children begin training as young as three or four years of age.
"Most of the martial arts students are coming from the rural area, and they come here to learn kung-fu from the kung-fu masters," our tour guide Helen Huang explained.
Think your normal nine-to-five work grind sounds bad? Imagine the typical regimen of a Shaolin student. They wake up at 5:30 a.m. and start training immediately -- before breakfast. Throughout the day, they continue to train and have classes, only breaking for meals. The day lasts until around 8:30 p.m., rain, snow or shine.
The training is fierce, extremely consistent and progressive. There are no days off or breaks to watch TV or hang out for drinks with friends.
After years of body conditioning and meditation, the monks are able to move themselves in ways that seem almost superhuman, control extreme pain and endure almost anything -- mainly because they practice daily and with fortitude.
Today, trees surrounding the courtyard bear witness to the force of the monks: Holes dot the bark where students have practiced their finger-punching techniques.
"Here, we have a chance to appreciate the real martial arts by the martial monks in the Shaolin monastery," Huang said.
Originally built in AD 495 during the Northern Wei dynasty, the temple has become a major tourist attraction. It's a bit of a shame that giant video screens clutter the entranceway and detract slightly from the "Zen" of it all.
The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. In 1641, the troops of rebel Li Zicheng destroyed the monastery because the powerful monks supported Ming and posed a possible threat to insurgents.
Because "Shao" refers to "Mount Shaoshi," a mountain in the Songshan mountain range and "lin" means forest, it makes sense to have both life and death bound to the monastery. On the 16-hectare site, the Pagoda Forest houses 240 tomb for eminent monks and abbots. These were built during different dynasties and believed to serve as portals into the afterlife.
Shaolin Monastery and its famed Pagoda Forest were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng."
Famous people who have visited Shaolin Temple include former Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2006 and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal three years later.
Showtime in Shaolina
When the sun sets, Shaolin shines.
The Zen Music Shaolin Grand Ceremony began in 2007 as a way to integrate Chinese theatre with martial arts and traditional music, and promote tourism in Henan Province. It is truly a unique theatrical production on a scale completely foreign to North American theatre.
Two mountains in Daxian Valley -- a south suburb of Dengfeng City and 7 km from Shaolin Temple -- serve as a powerful backdrop to the scenes that unfold during the hour-long show. The multi-platform stage is in a 1-km-long valley with near, middle and far settings comprised of brooks, forests and bridges.
More than 800 musicians, dancers, villagers and monks star in this incredible show. The monks run all over the set with ease and precision, balancing buckets of water. Buddhist stone figures and pagodas, accented by different coloured floodlights, create a sense of archaic peace. Some of the older monks stand stock still and meditate through the entire production, which is truly impressive especially in the spring when temperatures dip below 10 C.
Spectators can sit on prayer mats around the brook or in the auditorium. If it gets too chilly, visitors can rent "blankets," which are actually Chinese military coats, to wear or drape over their knees.
Music -- with lyrics sung in Mandarin and dark eerie chanting by the monks -- is integrated with sounds of nature, like water splashing in a pond, and instruments such as hanging chimes, xylophones, drums and reverberation from gongs. Everything is synchronized through several acts in the show.
At one point, lambs and goats run around the stage in a song-and-dance number with one of the actors. In another act, yellow-robed monks demonstrate their martial arts skills using wooden staffs.
The producers use every opportunity to use lighting to their advantage. Monks scurry in lines carrying lanterns so all the audience sees are hundreds of glowing lights moving to a drum beat.
Music and art direction are by composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero) and the Oscar and Grammy winner's skills are not wasted. Under a white LED full moon, breathtaking LED-lit men appear and disappear, flying through the air on wires and dueling with swords to a soundtrack of sorrowful cellos.
A special guest makes an appearance towards the end -- all you have to do is look up.
IF YOU GO TO CHINA
SHOW TICKETS
Tickets are 161 yuan (about $25) per person. The outdoor show runs nightly from March to November.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
For more on travel in China, call the China National Tour Office at 416-599-6636 or toll-free 1-866-599-6636, or visit tourismchina-ca.com.
GETTING THERE
Hainan Airlines has daily flights between Toronto to Beijing. Return economy fares start around $950. See global.hnair.com.
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