Songshan Shaolin Temple Day [Archive] - Kung Fu Magazine Forums

GeneChing

03-05-2009, 06:19 PM

Pass this along to any S.F. Press people you might know...:D

Contact:
Adam J. Keigwin,
(916) 651-4008
(916) 256-5758

PRESS CONFERENCE

Senator Yee to Announce Historic Visit of the Abbott of Shaolin

World famous martial artists from Songshan Shaolin Temple, China to perform in California

Who:
Senator Leland Yee
Shi Yanran, Director
Shi Yansong
Shi Yanyong
Shi Yanxing
Shi Yanlei
Shi Yanjia

When:
Friday, March 6, 2009 at 12:30 pm

Where:
Senator Yee’s District Office
455 Golden Gate, Suite 14200
San Francisco, CA 94102

What:
On March 18th, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) will welcome to California the highest figure in Chinese Zen Buddhism, the Abbott of Shaolin, along with a delegation of monks from the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, China. The historic visit will be only the third time in which the Abbott has come to California.

Tomorrow, Senator Yee will discuss the upcoming visit and announce several events and performances of the Shaolin.

The Shaolin Temple, renown for its 1500-year-old martial arts and Buddhist scholars, is the birth place of Zen Buddhism. The monks of Shaolin have won fame and prestige for creating Shaolin Kung Fu, the most well known Chinese martial arts. These teachings are taught throughout the world, with several schools and teaching centers located in California.

###

Adam J. Keigwin | Chief of Staff
Office of Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D.,
Assistant President pro Tem
California State Senate | District 8
(916) 651-4008 | www.senate.ca.gov/yee

Shaolinlueb

03-05-2009, 08:14 PM

you going to post up links to the pictures and photo's from the day when it is over?

GeneChing

03-06-2009, 11:08 AM

I'll be covering it as much as I can for both KungFuMagazine.com (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/index.php) and Kung Fu Tai Chi. It's a historic event for Shaolin and you know I'm on top of that.

I'll be blogging developments here on this thread. The schedule is in constant flux, so stay tuned....

Shaolinlueb

03-06-2009, 11:46 AM

are you going to be twittering it as it happens?

wenshu

03-06-2009, 02:14 PM

你好！

Abbot Shi Yong Xin will also be traveling to the Los Angeles Shaolin Temple Cultural Center. http://www.shaolinus.org

March 24th and 25th There will be seminars and demos as well as Buddha Hall Inauguration and Taking Refuge Ceremony.

The Los Angeles Shaolin Temple Cultural Center was established in 2007 and is currently located at 9143 La Rosa, Temple City, CA

Also, Master Shi Yan Xu will be holding workshops at the Disneyland Martial Arts Festival on Saturday March 28th. The workshops will cover Zhang Hu Xin Yi Men and Da Hong Quan as well as real world combat applications.

http://www.tournament.info/da-seminar.htm

GeneChing

03-06-2009, 04:33 PM

I've just signed up on twitter and I'm trying to figure it out. It's part of our viral campaign, along with the MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/kungfumagazine) and Facebook sites (I'd link the Facebook site, but I haven't figured out how to do that neatly yet - it's a business site). Anyway, right now I have like an audience of 2 on twitter, so I doubt I'll be twittering it. :o

GeneChing

03-06-2009, 05:01 PM

...from just a few hours ago at S.F. City Hall (too long to twitter ;))

Abbot of Shaolin to Make Historic Third Visit to California

Senator Yee hosts world famous martial artists from Songshan Shaolin Temple, China

SACRAMENTO – On March 18th, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) will welcome to California the highest figure in Chinese Zen Buddhism, the Abbot of Shaolin, along with a delegation of monks from the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, China. The historic visit will be only the third time in which Abbot Shi Yong Xin has come to California. Previous Abbots had never visited the United States.

The Shaolin Temple, renown for its 1500-year-old martial arts and Buddhist scholars, is the birth place of Zen Buddhism. The monks of Shaolin have won fame and prestige for creating Shaolin Kung Fu, the most well known Chinese martial arts. These teachings are taught throughout the world, with several schools and teaching centers located in California.

“I am honored to welcome the Abbot and the 1500-year old Shaolin martial arts and culture to our state,” said Senator Yee. “Today, thousands of Californians, of diverse cultural, religious, racial, economic, and social backgrounds, study the teachings of Shaolin.”

In 2004, Senator Yee authored a resolution that proclaimed March 21st as Shaolin Temple Day in California.

This year, along with the China Songshan Shaolin Temple, the Shaolin Temple USA, and the Shaolin Cultural Center, Senator Yee will host a variety of events for Shaolin Temple Day. The 1-1/2 week-long celebrations begin with a welcome for Abbot Shi Yong Xin and his delegation at San Francisco International Airport on March 18; an all-day event at Union Square on March 21; a performance at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on March 22; a visit to the Capitol and a performance in Sacramento on March 23; and ending with a variety of activities in the Los Angeles area between March 24 and March 29.

The following events are planned for Shaolin Temple Day in California:

Welcoming Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 1:30pm-2:30pm
San Francisco International Airport, Reflection Room

Shaolin Temple Day Performance – San Francisco
Saturday, March 21, 2009, 10:00am-5:00pm
Union Square Plaza, San Francisco

Shaolin Temple Day Performance – San Jose
Sunday, March 22, 2009, 3:30pm
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose

Shaolin Temple Day Welcome and Performance – Sacramento
Monday, March 23, 2009,
12:30pm, Performance at the Masonic Temple, Sacramento
2:00pm, Welcome in the Senate Chambers

Shaolin Temple Day Celebrations in the Los Angeles Area
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 through Sunday, March 29, 2009
Various venues in Santa Ana, Temple City, Montebello, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Anaheim

ngokfei

03-07-2009, 08:35 AM

"the highest figure in Chinese Zen Buddhism, the Abbott of Shaolin,"

really:rolleyes:

GeneChing

03-10-2009, 11:14 AM

Can you think of someone higher?

If memory serves, Shi Yongxin holds a seat on People's Congress and is one of the vice-directors (that's probably not the proper title) of the Chinese Buddhist Association. There are higher Chinese Buddhists, but I don't think they are of the Chan (Zen) school. What's more, given the vast public image of Shaolin, I think it's safe to say that they are better known worldwide than any other Chinese sect. I'm guessing that most people on this forum can't even name another Chinese Chan Buddhist abbot. I couldn't do it off the top of my head. I'd have to plumb my notes and articles. It's particularly challenging when you narrow the field to Chinese Chan. I can think of plenty of Buddhist leaders, several Zen leaders and a few Chinese leaders, but Abbot Yongxin is the only one that comes immediately to mind that combines all three.

Shaolindynasty

03-10-2009, 05:47 PM

I'm guessing that most people on this forum can't even name another Chinese Chan Buddhist abbot.

Venerable Sheng Yen from Dharma Drum

GeneChing

03-11-2009, 05:07 PM

...however I thought Sheng Yen was no longer in China. Isn't he in Taiwan now?

wenshu

03-11-2009, 11:58 PM

Master Sheng Yen has passed on.

http://www.ddm.org.tw/event/master_shengyen/en/index.html

Respect.

Shaolinlueb

03-12-2009, 12:30 PM

there is the dhali lama, thats the same as shaolin buddhism right?

[puts on flame coat]

GeneChing

03-12-2009, 02:44 PM

...way too many suplexes. :p

Shaolinlueb

03-12-2009, 07:31 PM

...way too many suplexes. :p

good thing i gave it up. ;)

enoajnin

03-14-2009, 11:58 AM

The Shaolin cultural center had a press conference at Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena on March 13, 2009. I have uploaded an hd video of the conference. It's about a half hour long with a short martial arts demonstration at the end performed by Shi Yan Xu and his brother.
Shaolin Press Conference (http://greglynchpics.com/shaolin/)

GeneChing

03-17-2009, 09:20 AM

Due to our little forum blip yesterday (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53538), my posts on this thread were lost. Impermanence...:D

Thanks for that vid, enoajnin. That was a lot of speeches for the first lines of dahong and some wushu shuangdao. :rolleyes:

I'm about to leave for a press conference at Yanran's place here in Fremont. It's open to the public so come on down! It starts at 10:00am. 4343 Peralta Boulevard (at Dusterberry), Fremont, CA 94536 Tel: (510) 818-9966 Fax: (510) 818-9960 Email: ShaolinUSA@yahoo.com.cn. This is the place described in my article The Temple and the Auto Shop in our 2009 January/February Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=797).

Here's the schedule for the Abbot's visit up in the Bay Area:

Shaolin
1,500 Years of Cultural Heritage (http://www.shaolinusa.us/event_09shaolinday2.html)
Chan Buddhism • Shaolin Kung Fu • Shaolin Medicine

Program
March 18 - 23, 2009
San Francisco - Fremont - San Jose - Sacramento

March 18, 2009 • Wednesday

San Francisco International Airport
Airport Welcome for The Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin and China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation

9:00 am
Arrival of Abbot Shi Yongxin and Delegation
San Francisco International Airport
United Airlines Flight 888 from Beijing
You are welcome to join us in greeting the Abbot at the arrival.
To check status of a flight online, go to http://www.united.com. Or call United International at 800.538.2929.

10:00 am
Press Conference at Reflection Room at Airport

Group photo with the Venerable Abbot

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 19, 2009 • Thursday • 9:30 - 11 30 am
Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center
5509 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 9121
Grand Opening

9:30 am
Buddhist Ceremony presided by the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin of China Songshan Shaolin Temple, the Venerable Master Ru Xiu of Da Bei Temple and the Venerable Master Chi Hoi of Foshan Monastry: Consecration of Triple Gem Buddha Statues and and blessings for the new Cutlure Center.

10:00 am
Guest Speakers

10:30 am
Shaolin Kung Fu Demonstration

11:00
Buddhist Offerings. To make offering, please contact Amy Tung at 408-472-2530.

March 19, 2009 • Thursday • 2:00 pm
East Asian Library, UC Berkeley
The Abbot and Delegation visit the East Asian Library and Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 20, 2009 • Friday

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Guided tour of exhibits for Abbot Shi Yongxin and Delegation. The Abbot meets with Executive Director and Museum Board Members on future collaborations.

Osher Institute of Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Abbot Shi Yongxin meets with Medical and Department Heads on fusion of East-West Medicine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 21, 2009 • Satruday • 10 am - 5 pm
Union Square, San Francisco
Shaolin Temple Day Celebration
1,500 Years of Cultural Heritage
Chan Buddhism • Shaolin Kung Fu • Shaolin Medicine

10:30 am
Spring Prayer for World Peace and the American People presided by
Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin of China Songshan Shaolin Temple

11:00 am
Greetings from the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin, Senator Leland Yee and Shi Yanran, Director of Shaolin Temple USA
Guest Speakers
Lion Dance
Ribbon Cutting

12 noon, 3 pm
Shaolin Kung Fu Demonstration

Free Lessons:
Shaolin Kung Fu, Qigong, classic Shaolin Wellness Exercises

Photo Display:
History of Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Culture: Chan Buddhism, Shaolin Kung Fu, Shaolin Medicine, Shaolin Temple cultural exchange activities abroad

Shaolin Cultural Booths:
Shaolin Medicine, Chan Tea & Cuisine, Shaolin Monk Attire, Shaolin Weapons, Books & Arts & much more...

March 21, 2009 • Saturday 6:30 pm
Ming's
1700 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Vegetarian Banquet honoring the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin.
More information: 510-818-9966

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 22, 2009 • Sunday 10 am - 12:30 pm
Shaolin Temple USA Fremont Culture Center
4343 Peralta Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536
Abbot Shi Yongxin meets with students, parents and local residents
Group photo with the Venerable Abbot

March 22, 2009 • Sunday 3:30 pm
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose, CA 95113
Magnificent Shaolin
Spectacular Shaolin Kung Fu • Breathtaking Qigong Feats
The splendid harmony of Shaolin Martial Arts & Chan Buddhism
that inhabits the ancient monastery comes to life on stage.
Performed by Kung Fu Monks of the visiting China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation & Shaolin Temple Kung Fu Monks stationed at Shaolin Temple USA
Abbot Shi Yongxin conducts blessing ceremony

For more information:
Please call 415-666-9966
Email: ShaolinUSA@yahoo.com.cn

Tickets: $28, $48, $68, $98 (VIP)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 23, 2009 • Monday
California State Capitol, Sacramento
China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day celebration

GeneChing

03-18-2009, 01:33 PM

"“hi-ya!” their way into your heart" :rolleyes:

Shaolin Temple Abbot - Venerable Grand Monk Master Shi Yong Xin & Shaoling Temple Kung Fu Monks Team (http://www.ocweekly.com/events/shaolin-temple-abbot-venerable-grand-monk-master-shi-yong-xin-and-shaoling-temple-kung-fu-monks-team-354231/)
Date/Time:Tue., March 24, 7:00pm

Typically, the thought of monks brings forth images of peace and tranquility—not supreme kung-fu beat-downs. For 1,500 years, the monks of China’s Shaolin Temple have been guardians of two of the country’s greatest customs: Buddhism and kung fu. The temple is the birthplace of some of the most famous martial arts, devised to protect the grounds from bandits and later becoming one of the monks’ strongest traditions—and lucky to be here today. The Communist regime declared war on all old ideas and closed the country’s monasteries during the Cultural Revolution. But Jet Li helped to breathe new life into the temple after filming the 1982 classic Shaolin Temple there. It was the first martial-arts film to be shown in mainland China and sparked an international interest in the monks’ unique practices. Witness Venerable Grand Monk Master Shi Yong Xin and the Shaoling Temple Kung Fu Monks Team as they “hi-ya!” their way into your heart.

This is somewhat related since Abbot Yongxin is here to visit the two American Shaolin Cultural Centers. I was going to ask how many there are worldwide now - this article reports 28 - I'll probably still ask, just to double check.

Kungfu shrine monastery planning new tourism scheme amid financial crisis (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/12/content_10998011.htm)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Shaolin Temple and the global financial crisis, far-fetched? The abbot of the legendary kungfu shrine believes otherwise.

The temple is planning a new tourism project aimed to inspire more confidence into people struggling in the prevailing financial crisis, through "perception of Zen's wisdom and power", said Shi Yongxin, the abbot.

"The plan is to let tourists have a taste of living as followers of Zen Buddhism," said Shi, "and people can come to meditate sitting cross legged and eat vegetables only like other monks."

The financial crisis has not impacted people's spending on culture and tourism, he told Xinhua on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislative body.

The number of visitors was unaffected and even increased by about 10 percent since the unfolding of the crisis, according to Shi, also an NPC deputy.

The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple in China's central province of Henan on average receives more than 2 million tourists every year.

"Shaolin Kong Fu can make people physically stronger, and living the life of Zen followers can lead them to the perception of Zen's wisdom," he said, "such practices are both very popular among tourists."

The famed Shaolin temple has been frequently in the spotlight of media under the leadership of Shi, as the temple developed business ventures include kungfu shows, film production and online selling.

The latest commercial move of Shi is to open franchised "offshoot" outside Henan Province, such as in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Shi said the temple is also planning to open a branch in Hong Kong, in a move to promote the Shaolin Kungfu and Chinese culture globally.

His undertakings aroused controversy among the Chinese public. Some accused him of running Shaolin like a business, giving him the nickname of the "CEO monk".

Others said it is a good way to develop Shaolin in such a brand-oriented society because commercialized operation helps protect and spread Chinese kungfu further.

The Shaolin temple has so far set up 28 overseas centers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and other countries to promote Shaolin kungfu and Chinese culture.

I found this amusing since the So.CA portion of the Abbot's trip involves Disneyland in a peripheral way.

80 percent of netizens strongly support Shaolin Temple's rivalry of Disneyland (http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6600678.html)
12:54, February 25, 2009

After the article about the Shaolin Temple planning to build a branch in Hong Kong was published on February 23, it drew attention from readers nationwide. Over 50 websites in China quoted the full text.

How do netizens feel about Songshan Shaolin Temple's plan to build another Shaolin Temple in Hong Kong? To understand their opinions, Sohu.com launched a large-scale opinion poll on its website, entitled "Do you support the Shaolin Temple building a branch in Hong Kong costing 420 million HKD?"

The supporting side argues to "support the construction of the Hong Kong Shaolin Temple" in order to better promote Shaolin culture among the people of Hong Kong, and so they can learn the secrets of Shaolin kung fu right on their doorstep. At the same time, it will become a new scenic spot to attract tourists and garner economic benefits. One netizen in Shanghai said, "Now that western culture is spreading everywhere, building a Shaolin Temple in Hong Kong means that Asian culture, represented by Shaolin, can fully rival Disneyland, which represents western culture."

Those who "oppose the construction of the Hong Kong Shaolin Temple" say forking out such a huge sum of money to build a branch temple is an expensive waste. The significance of the Shaolin Temple lies in Buddhist spirituality, not in martial arts tips and commercial expansion.

By 7:00 pm on February 23, a total of 7,703 people have participated in the opinion poll. According to the results, 6,679 people voted in favor of the Shaolin temple plan, while merely 1,024 people voted against it. The results showed a great disparity between the two opinions, which shocked even Abbot Shi Yongxin of the Shaolin Temple. "That is not easy! (Zhen bu rong yi!)," Shi commented using four Chinese characters when he was informed of the results.

Considering the plan for the Shaolin Temple and opinions from netizens, Xia Wanqun, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Society, said, "After reform and opening-up, traditional Chinese culture has continuously been on the defense. The Shaolin Temple, however, has actively spread traditional Chinese culture to the world while revealing the value of traditional Chinese culture. Their efforts are worthy of praise." He added that Shaolin culture implies universal values, which are a part of traditional Chinese culture. The construction of a branch temple in Hong Kong is not only an opportunity for the Shaolin Temple to spread its culture to the whole world, but also a platform for it to spread the culture of China's central plains. "I believe most netizens are aware of this point. That is why they support the Shaolin Temple's plan to build a branch temple in Hong Kong."

Pk_StyLeZ

03-18-2009, 07:09 PM

28 huh......so how many are there in the usa that he *authorizes*
and which ones? not really important..but just curious

GeneChing

03-19-2009, 04:01 PM

To my knowledge, Shi Yanran's San Francisco school is the first to be blessed as a Songshan Shaolin Wenhua Zhongxin (cultural center) by Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin. He will bless Shi Yanran's Fremont school on Sunday. Then on Tuesday, he'll bless the Shi Yanxu's Los Angeles school. I'm not sure if official Wenhua Zhongxin status starts at acceptance or at the blessing. That point my be argued by North vs. South CA Shaolinites for some time.

So my understanding is that will be three Cultural centers in America by the end of this trip. There's another pending in Chicago under Shi Yanju. Shi Yanju and Shi Guolin are scheduled to arrive here tomorrow.

As for today's ceremony, it was a simply glorious day in San Francisco, the kind that makes you fall in love with that great city in a heartbeat. Venerable Master Ru Xiu of Da Bei Temple and the Venerable Master Chi Hoi of Foshan Monastery were also part of the ceremony. Chi Hoi gave a short dharma talk, encouraging people to practice Chan and Shaolin kung fu to ward off depression caused by the global economic crises. Sun Jinhua of the Chinese Cultural Consulate spoke. A proclamation from Leland Yee was read, along with a congratulatory letter from Diane Feinstein.

Abbot Yongxin has four monks traveling with him: Shi Yanao, Shi Yanchan, Shi Yancai and Shi Yanzhong. They all demonstrated some very traditional Shaolin which was awesome. The demonstration was short and combined these four monks with Shi Yanran's group. Shi Yanran's monks did more of a typical stage show performance. It was a bit too close for comfort for our official photographer (me) especially with the needle throwing and the 3-section staff form. It's hard for me to tell exactly where the performer is through a camera lens and I've had way too many incidents in the past to be comfortable.

Yanran held a nice vegetarian banquet for those that attended. I wound up on a table with the nuns of Da Bei. It was very pleasant.

They were headed to U.C. Berkeley next. Yanran kindly invited me to join them, but I had to get back here and finish up some work.

Pk_StyLeZ

03-19-2009, 08:05 PM

shi guolin from ny?

nice write up..keep us informed!
i want to see pictures!

sha0lin1

03-20-2009, 06:37 AM

I wound up on a table with the nuns of Da Bei. It was very pleasant.

Sounds like a lot of fun too.

GeneChing

03-20-2009, 12:00 PM

Here's the 3 Abbots during the blessing ceremony. To the left is Shi Yanran. To the right is Shi Yanxing, who's in this month's BB. I trained under Yanxing for a spell. I'm going to save the good pics for the mag.

Yesterday was shining and clear. Today is partly cloudy here. Stormy weather is predicted for Saturday which would totally suck since we're bringing several $K worth of weapons up for the Shaolin 18 weapons display. But as I've said before, when I'm in the Shaolinzone, I see rainbows. I talked about that in Shaolin Trips - Episode Three: Resting on a Pillow (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=522).

"And when they see a cloud upon the sky, they will not fear it, not think it danger unto them, as in the coming of another flood: for they will see the bow of my covenant, which will henceforth be know as a rainbow, the crown of my law."

It's equinox and we're looking for auspicious signs....;)

GeneChing

03-20-2009, 01:45 PM

Follow this link to the World Journal S.F. edition 3/18/2009 (http://74.208.100.139/wjepaperlogin/showpaperfull.aspx?20090318). We're on page B3 (the 18th hyperlink on the right side nav bar). Left to right: me, Shi Yanran, Gigi Oh. :cool:

GeneChing

03-20-2009, 04:16 PM

Guolin is in S.F. now. He's staying with Yanju and Yanyue.

Pk_StyLeZ

03-20-2009, 06:55 PM

nice gene
i found some more stuff on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=shaolintempleusa&view=videos

GeneChing

03-24-2009, 09:58 AM

It was quite a weekend. Since I was with the Abbot's entourage yesterday for the Sacramento trip, I'm behind on my Monday chores here. I also have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I won't get the chance to dole out a complete report (besides I'm saving the good stuff for our print magazine ;)).

USA Shaolin Temple has been keeping a list of news items (mostly Chinese) along with some slideshows and such. Check it out. (http://www.shaolinusa.us/event_09shaolinday_news.html)

GeneChing

03-26-2009, 11:13 AM

This was the strongest demo of the ones I saw during the run. I was seated right below this camera. Unfortunately this vid focuses on the performance routines - there's only on segment that shows some traditional. There was a lot more traditional but that was edited out. Click for vid.

Shaolin Kung Fu Masters (http://videos.sacbee.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=3527703)
Shaolin Kung Fu Monks perform the harmony of Shaolin Martial Arts - that inhabits the ancient monastery - to visiting Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin at Masonic Temple in downtown Sacramento.

sha0lin1

03-28-2009, 05:01 AM

The Masonic's huh? Who will they demonstrate for next, the Skull and Bones society?

GeneChing

03-30-2009, 02:47 PM

...unless you count Capt. Jack Sparrow. When they went south, they went to Disneyland. ;)

sha0lin1

03-31-2009, 06:41 AM

...unless you count Capt. Jack Sparrow. When they went south, they went to Disneyland. ;)

Ahh yes, the secret headquarters of the Illuminati. Mickey Mouse is their Grandmaster. They probably went to teach the leaders kung fu so they can protect themselves from the peasants when the impending revolution comes.:D

GeneChing

04-02-2009, 03:17 PM

I think this is from the same person who got Shi Yanxing into BB this month.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Shaolin Temple Day (http://studio618.blogspot.com/2009/03/shaolin-temple-day.html)
It was such an exciting weekend where I was reconnected to my gongfu, or more commonly known as kungfu, past by the visit of Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin from the legendary China Songshan Shaolin Temple. (The abbot is the leading monk who makes the final decisions in important issues at the temple.) Shaolin Temple USA is an official school directly connected to China’s Shaolin Temple that was established in 495 AD and is renowned for their martial arts. These exercises were first developed to promote blood circulation after long periods of meditation.

The Abbot arrived at SFO from Beijing on March 18 and I joined the welcoming party. The two times I went to China’s Shaolin Temple, I didn’t get a chance to meet him. So I felt so honored meeting him up close in person. He is not that tall and has gentle demeanor, unlike the superhuman impression when reading about those legendary warrior monks in the gongfu novels. Although it is not a requirement to the most skilled in gongfu to become an abbot, I would imagine that Abbot Shi Yongxin is highly trained underneath that modest appearance.

On the next day, March 19, there was a Grand Opening celebration at the San Francisco Shaolin Culture Center. There were two parts to this traditional celebration. First portion was the Buddhist ceremony where the eyes of the three new Buddha statues were symbolically dotted. In the light of their eyes, we can feel the presence of the Buddha. During the ceremony, there were recitals of Buddhist sutras, blessing all the visitors with health, peace and happiness. Comparing to Jewish synagogue services where we get to sit and stand during the entire event, the Buddhist services seemed rather “punishing” where we had to stand during the entire ceremony. My recovering ankle was really protesting towards the end. The second portion was the unveiling of the entrance door plaque, marking the official opening of the cultural center.

The Abbot stated the mission of Shaolin Temple USA that in the past 30 years, Shaolin Temple was visited by millions of friends from many different countries, and that he felt obligated to reach out to the world to spread Buddhist teachings, much like when Budhidharma traveled from India to China Songshan in 517 AD and started Chan Buddhism. The Abbot emphasized that the Shaolin Temple is not just about gongfu/martial arts, instead it is a way of life. The cultural centers offer places for people to study Buddhism, to meditate, and to stay healthy by eating well, to exercise their bodies, and to build communities.

Saturday, March 21, was Shaolin Temple Day celebrated at Union Square, SF. There were numerous booths with information on the origin and history of the Temple, a photo gallery meandered on the public square, a display of monastic attire, free books on Buddhist philosophies, video viewing and sales (where I volunteered), vegetarian food sale, weaponry display, T-shirt and magazine sales (by Tiger Claw). The major attraction was the performance stage where the Abbot prayed for peace and harmony for the US and the world, dignitaries gave their speeches, the students and Shaolin monks demonstrated their skills, and free lessons given by the monks. Like many people, I took advantage and tried out the super-easy qi gong (or Chi Kung) form, Baduanjin (sometimes translated as Eight Section Brocade). It is a simplified set of breathing and stretching exercises based on the famous Yijinjing.

Sunday, March 22, was the theater performance, Magnificent Shaolin. The monks displayed their prowess, strength, and flexibility, all choreographed into beautiful sequence of artful, gravity-defying moves. We saw hard chi gong, single and double weapon forms, fist forms, animal techniques (tiger, dragon, snake, eagle, toad, mantis, monkey), drunken forms, bare hands and weapon sparring. Students performed during the intermission. What I really want to learn is their taichi form (which has some similarities to Chen style tai chi YiLou form) and RouQuan, a soft and fluid fist form that combines soft and hard explosive powers. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed so I can’t post any pictures to share. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed so I can’t post any pictures to share.

Now I just wish they will open up another center near me so I can join the fun. Currently, there are only 4 official schools in the US – San Francisco, Fremont, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Each of schools is run by direct disciples of the Abbot. Be sure to go and check them out if you live in those areas because it will be a lot less expensive than going to China to see them. Otherwise, you can see some incredible action photos on their website, or some awe-inspiring videos on YouTube.

GeneChing

04-03-2009, 10:22 AM

The blog I posted above was not from the author of said article, but one of her friends.

Here's a vid: 2009 Shaolin Temple Day - San Francisco (http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=DDlCuftZo-A). In the beginning, you can see the performance stuff slipping and sliding on the wet stage. After 5:30 there's some of the traditional stuff sandwiched between the hard qigong demos. There was more traditional forms demonstrated. I wish the youtube poster had put more of that in. That's the good stuff. ;)

GeneChing

04-06-2009, 02:13 PM

This is probably the last one. That is, until you get the real story, from us...;)

Shaolin Temple monks demonstrate power of mind over matter in Sacramento performance (http://www.sacbee.com/local/story/1723584.html)
By Jennifer Garza
jgarza@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2009 - 12:19 am | Page 1B
Last Modified: Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2009 - 10:37 am

The monks of the Shaolin Temple in China are world renowned for their practice of Zen Buddhism and mastery of martial arts.

On Monday, they showed why.

In a 20-minute demonstration, the monks displayed the power of mind over matter at Sacramento's Masonic Temple. A dozen men accompanied the venerable Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin, the highest-ranking figure in Chinese Zen Buddhism. He is the first abbot to visit the United States.

The monks – ranging from their 20s to their 50s – showed why they are considered among the top martial artists in the world.

Accompanied by a CD of Chinese music, they kicked, punched and contorted their bodies to show strength and concentration. They broke bricks with the backs of their heads and shattered sticks with their bare hands.

In a dramatic ending, the monks placed four spear tips on a man's bare chest and stomach to hold him in the air.

They ended each demonstration with a bow to the abbot.

Through a translator, the abbot discussed the importance of martial arts to Zen Buddhism over the past 1,500 years. "They (martial arts) build endurance and character, and that's how they contribute to society," he said.

Zen Buddhism originated in China, and the Shaolin Temple is considered one of the most famous temples in that country. It's also the setting of the 1982 Jet Li movie "The Shaolin Temple".

The temple is the birthplace of Shaolin kung fu – where monks spend years trying to master that martial art. Kung fu was originally developed to fight off wild animals, according to Lee Li, director of the Shaolin Kung Fu Center in China. Later, monks incorporated the martial arts into meditation.

"They are a guide to enlightenment, part of the process," said Li.

Shi Yanran was the monk suspended Monday on spear tips. At 26, he has practiced eight hours a day for 15 years. He said the monks don't think of what they do as dangerous. Instead, they believe kung fu pushes them to their mental and physical limits.

"The goal is the thing in kung fu," said Yanran.

The performance left many in the audience impressed. "It was fantastic, really something," said Bobby Galsham of Sacramento, who studies martial arts.

Ann Yuey came from San Francisco to see the monks. "What I liked is their peaceful nature," said Yuey. "They are very calming.

The monks were in California in honor of a resolution authored by state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, that declared March 21 "Shaolin Temple Day."

After the demonstration, the abbot was asked about Tibetan monks in China. Nearly 100 Tibetan monks were reportedly detained during a riot at a police station in China over the weekend. The abbot did not address the situation directly but said that he meets with Tibetan monks regularly.

He said that people in Tibet "can enjoy freedom of religion."

The abbot said the monks were in town as part of a cultural exchange.

"It is through the coming together of various cultures," he said, "that we are able to come together as one."

GeneChing

04-07-2009, 04:26 PM

It was raining at Union Square on Shaolin Temple Day on March 21st, so we didn't sell very many t-shirts. Then there was an oversight on behalf of the booking of Magnificent Shaolin and we weren't issued a promised resale permit. So we've still got some shirts.

20% OFF - Songshan Shaolin Temple Day 2009 Commemorative Shirt (http://www.martialartsmart.net/94536stmp1.html). Offer good while supply lasts.

A portion of the proceeds of these limited-edition commemorative shirts goes to the Friends of Shaolin, a special committee of the Tiger Claw Foundation (http://tigerclawfoundation.org/), a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to promoting martial artists and assisting martial artists in achieving their goals.

GeneChing

04-09-2009, 10:54 AM

Perhaps that should go on the What's Up with USSD? (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2074) thread. I also interviewed the Abbot and asked him how many Cultural Centers there are in the world and in the U.S., and which one was first in America. Of course, you'll have to buy our next issue (http://www.martialartsmart.net/19341.html) to get the answers. Got to save some choice tidbits for the mag.

Buy a commemorative shirt. (http://www.martialartsmart.net/94536stmp1.html) It's good karma. ;)

Pk_StyLeZ

04-10-2009, 05:04 PM

wenshu

04-12-2009, 01:19 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE95bsh8Pc0

Video of performance from the 3/29 Disneyland martial arts festival.

GeneChing

04-13-2009, 10:11 AM

It'll be available on the newsstands on 6/9/9, which means you still have plenty of time to subscribe (http://www.martialartsmart.net/19341.html).

We opened this year with a Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=797) - you can buy a back issue at our forum sponsor, MartialArtsMart. (http://www.martialartsmart.net/kf200150.html)

enoajnin

04-21-2009, 03:13 PM

Here are some videos from the Shaolin swing through SoCal. There are a few press conferences, the Taking Refuge Ceremony and a bunch of demonstrations. Enjoy. Make sure you hit the play button to start the videos.

Shaolin Cultural Learnings (http://greglynchpics.com/shaolin/)

Tensei85

04-22-2009, 06:27 PM

Sweet! I'm definitely going to pick up a Shaolin Day t-shirt, great design and functional too.

GeneChing

06-03-2009, 10:24 AM

Just posted: Shaolin Adventures in Disneyland (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=823) by Greg Lynch Jr.

Raipizo

06-24-2009, 04:20 PM

Are they planning on making a temple in Cali? i would definately go there :D too bad i didn't go to Disney land that would be funny to see trained deadly warriors with mickey mouse and other characters XD!

GeneChing

03-15-2010, 11:46 AM

Shaolin Temple USA is holding observances at their S.F. and Fremont locations. See their website. (http://shaolinusa.us/)

2010 Shaolin Temple Day
Celebration
March 21, 2010 • Sunday

• Your are cordially invited •
Please join us at our
Shaolin Temple Culture Centers
San Francisco • Fremont, CA

Program:
(both centers)
• Shaolion Kung Fu Performance
by Shaolin Temple USA Kung Fu Monks
Presenting:
Shaolin Temple USA School Team & Students
• Video show of recent events
• Shaolin Day Special Offer:
New students: enroll on Mar 21 and
Enjoy a 15% tuition discount!
• Free trial lessons
• Refreshments

San Francisco
5509 Geary Blvd. (at 19th Ave.)
• Celebration: 10:30 am - 1 pm
Plus 1st anniversary celebration of
San Francisco Culture Center
• Open House
Free trial lessons: 1 - 3 pm

Fremont, CA
4343 Peralta Blvd. (at Dusterberry)
• Open House
Free trial lessons: 12 noon - 2 pm
• Celebration: 2:30 - 5:00 pm
• Photo Exhibit from
China Songshan Shaolin Temple

SPJ

03-22-2010, 12:34 PM

Since 2004, California legislated that March 21st of every year

the Shaolin temple day.

in celebration of the chan wu culture heritage.

my brother invited me to some activity

I was too tired to go.

But every body had some fun.

---

:)

SPJ

03-22-2010, 12:35 PM

http://shaolinusa.us/event_09shaolinday1.html

http://www.shaolinusa.us/

last year posters.

:)

SPJ

03-22-2010, 12:41 PM

the one close to me

is in live oak park, temple city

Sunday 1:30 PM.

:)

SPJ

03-22-2010, 12:42 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMoseaskJ_4

:)

GeneChing

09-13-2010, 10:19 AM

I reported on Josh Pane in my article Songshan Shaolin Temple Day 2009: The Northern Temples in the 2009 July/August issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=824).

New yoga studio has Capitol connections (http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4aavnmdl2pgh4&xid=z49s7a0qy1hmpa&done=.z4aavnmdl3cgh4)
By Malcolm Maclachlan | 09/09/10 12:00 AM PST

Josh Pane spends his days trying to improve the business climate for clients like the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. But he also has a new business interest of his own: a yoga studio, hatched on a legislative trip that included a visit to a Shaolin temple, and housed in a New Deal-era building renovated with a public grant.

Yoga Shala opened on July 6 in the old YWCA building on 17th Street. Blocks from the Capitol, the studio has already drawn in several legislative staffers.

Pane's partner is yoga instructor Tyler Langdale.Langdale was also one of the instructors who travelled to Washington D.C. with his now former employers, Zuda Yoga in Midtown, to teach yoga classes on the White House lawn as part of the annual Easter Egg Roll last year. The enthusiasm that Michelle Obama and other members of the First Family have for yoga has certainly contributed to its growing mainstream appeal.

Pane said he knows lots of people around the Capitol who do it, including Republicans like Sen. Mimi Walters, R-Laguna Niguel, and former Assemblyman Guy Houston. He started practicing a decade ago, and said the practice transcends mere exercise and helps him unwind from his daily political battles.

“Yoga seeks to purify the body, and then one can purify one’s mind,” Pane said. “It is a wonderful moving meditation.”

His association with Langdale, 27 — a former All-American college swimmer at Principia College in Illinois, and later a swim coach — started four years ago, when he became one of the clients of Langdale’s massage therapy business. When Langdale started teaching at Zuda, Pane came over to the new studio.

“He’s been a big supporter of mine forever,” Langdale said. “He took my second yoga class ever, and he was the only student.”

Early last year, Pane decided he wanted to take teacher-training classes.

“He wanted to go to the source for training,” Langdale said. “I was like, India? I’ll go to India!”

About that same time, Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, brought a group of Shaolin monks from China. Pane arranged for them to do a martial arts and acrobatics show at the Masonic Temple, which also houses the offices of Pane & Pane, the lobbying firm he started with his wife, Donna Pane, in 1993.

Yee was planning a legislative trip to China at the time. Pane suggested to Langdale that they tag along, then head to India afterwards. While Langdale has been specializing in teaching a style of power yoga known as Vinyasa flow, for months the pair studied a related but more traditional Ashtanga style.

This culminated in a month-long adventure in November, which included 12 days in China and another 16 in India. One of the nights was spent in a Shaolin Temple, high in the sacred Shao Shan Mountains.

“It was freezing cold,” Langdale said. “No one spoke English. It was so much fun looking back on it. The next day we got the private tour from the abbot himself.”

They later headed off to several spots in India, including the famed Mysore Mandala Yoga Shala, in the ancient city of Mysore, near the equator. They studied with a yogi there, who, in sweltering conditions, put “these two big American guys” in positions so awkward that Pane said “you could barely do anything.” Then he had them concentrate on their breathing for long periods. Concentrating on breathing in and out of your nose for 90 minutes, Pane said, really helps in learning balance.

It was while sitting on a beach in Goa that the pair started to talk more seriously about Langdale opening his own studio. But it was several months before things really got going and they decided on the YWCA space.

“When we came back, he put a little money together, I put a little money together, and started searching,” Pane said. “We were very fortunate to get that space after we looked at 20 spaces.”

The midtown YWCA building was built in 1934. It was recently renovated with a $2.8 million grant from the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. It reopened in late June. Yoga Shala is the only business they are renting to, Langdale said. The classes are taught in a large open room with an exposed beam wooden ceiling.

“It’s been an absolutely beautiful place to open up,” Langdale said. “It provides that sense of simplicity.”

This back-to-basics ethic can also be seen in the name Yoga Shala, which essentially just means “yoga school.” The teacher line-up includes some other ex-Zuda instructors, including Rachel Miller, who is also a recognized local artist.

The studio seems to be catching on with at least a few Capitol staffers. Stephanie Hineline, scheduler for Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, was part of a group of staffers who had been meeting for the last couple of years after another studio on the K St. Mall was closed by an eminent domain dispute. For a while, she said, they were doing yoga in Capitol Park.
“It was hard,” she said. “You had to balance on the grass.”

For her, the proximity and lunchtime classes make a huge difference. Because she’s a parent and lives out in Elk Grove, she said, evening classes weren’t really a possibility. Another student is Ryan Ojakian, also in Simitian’s office. They noted that while there were at least three Republicans in the group of 10 or more Capitol staffers who go to Yoga Shala, so far he’s the only guy. With the legislative session now at an end, he’s planning on being there a lot more.

“The last month has been brutal,” he said of the long hours that come with the bill deadline.

Erica Martinez, a consultant with the office of Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles, agrees. A runner, she said that the last few months she found herself “problem solving” in her head while she hit the pavement.

She had never done yoga before a few months ago. But she said that yoga allows her to clear her mind in a way that running doesn’t.

“It sounds corny, but I feel like I can find kindness and solace there,” Martinez said. She added, “It is more frustrating in the last two to three years than it has been in the past. The budget situation is so horrible. The dynamics in the Legislature can be challenging. It’s very stressful to be in the building.”

These days, Pane and Langdale still meet once a week for a private yoga class together. They also talk regularly about possibilities for the business. One idea they’ve been working on is going to a donation-based system, where students pay what they can and what they think is fair.

But in the meantime, they’re mainly hoping that their passion catches on with others around the Capitol.

“I’ve joked with Tyler that we have to do a ‘yoga for lobbyists’ class,” Pane said. He added, “I think it helps in dealing with the pressure cooker amazingly.”

GeneChing

03-16-2011, 12:37 PM

It's this weekend, but a small affair this year - just a veg picnic at Lake Elizabeth, which is right down the street from our office, and a school competition.

2011 Shaolin Temple Day Celebration (http://www.shaolinusa.us/event.shaolinday2011.html)

Sunday March 20, 2011 • Lake Elizabeth / Central Park, Fremont CA
• 11 am: Vegetarian Picnic
• 1 pm: Shaolin Temple USA Students Kung Fu Competition
In case of rain, the celebration will be held at Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center in Fremont, 4343 Peralta Blvd.
You will be notified in time.

Please sign up for the picnic and competition ASAP

— There will be no classes at our San Francisco and Fremont culture centers today —

The annual Shaolin Temple Day (March 21, 2011) is just around the corner. Shaolin Temple USA will celebrate this year's special day on Sunday, March 20 at the beautiful Lake Elizabeth in Central Park of Fremont CA. We are getting together to celebrate Shaolin way of life, such as healthy, vegetarian diet, Shaolin Kung Fu for physical and spirit wellness, and harmony with nature and among ourselves.

We will also hold our first student competition on the traditional Shaolin fist, weapons and wellness forms that our students have learned at Shaolin Temple USA. We encourage all our students to participate. It's a great way to sharpen up your skills preparing for a good performance at the competition. Students who are planning to compete in the upcoming UC Berkeley and Kung Fu Magazine tournaments, this will be your rehearsal before the big tournaments.

Vegetarian Picnic: 11 am

The picnic at 11 am will be a light vegetarian lunch. You have the option of paying a small fee ($5/adult, $3/age 7 or under) for your lunch, or bringing a vegetarian dish or two to share. You may like to consider bringing the following:

Salad
Fruits
Main Dish
Starch (Rice, Noodle, Bread, etc)
Drinks
Desserts

Be creative. As veggie dishes go, any tofu, bean, seaweed, avocado, nuts and even some exotic exotic dishes such as couscous, quinoa are fine.

Please note that according to the Buddhist Sutra, e.g., Shurangama Sutra (leng yan jing), the Five Pungent Herbs 5–¡ (onions in any color, e.g., green, red, and white, garlic, scallions, leeks, and chives) should be spared from the Buddhist vegetarian dishes. Not only are they pungent, but also create anger and arousal. They are disrespectful for offerings. Eggs should be avoided as well.

For more information on vegetarianism, visit:
http://drba.org/dharma/btts/9xxEntryDetail.asp?wid=33
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-diet.html
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/history/staff/d-keown.php

For vegetarian recipes, go to:
http://drba.org/dharma/veggie/default.asp

For further information on Shurangama Sutra (leng yan jing), go to:
http://www.drbachinese.org/online_reading/dharma_talks/ProperDharma_b/Proper_Dharma.b3.htm

Shaolin Temple USA Students Kung Fu Competition: 1:00 pm

Competition Events—

Fist Forms:
Lianhuan Fist, Tongbi Fist, 5 Animals Fist, Xiaohong Fist

Weapons:
Yinshou Staff, Plum Blossom Broadsword, Damo Sword

Wellness:
Baduanjin, Yijinjing (1st 3 sections), Xisuijing (1st 3 sections), Xinyi Fist

Age Groups:
1. Children (12 years and under)
2. Youths and Adults (all other ages)

Prizes:
First 3 places of each event, plus—
- Fist Grand Champion
- Weapons Grand Champion
- Wellness Grand Champion

Sign up: now through 3/19/2011. Your are encouraged to sign up ASAP.

You are required to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement with Shaolin Temple USA prior to the competition.

Competitors please wear your traditional Shaolin uniform for your events.

For more information, please call 415-666-9966 or 510-818-9966.
Email: ShaolinUSA@yahoo.com.cn

Lake Elizabeth in Cental Park, Fremont CA
40000 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, CA
Nearest major street: Stevenson Blvd. (Interstate 880S exit)
Lake Elizabeth/Central Park official website
Map & directions to Lake Elizabeth/Central Park
Picnic Area: Lions 1 (star #9, outlined in green on map of Central Park)

Origin of Shaolin Temple Day in the United States

On March 21, 2004, a China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation led by the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin was honored by the California State Assembly with the proclamation of “China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.” A full scale Shaolin Kung Fu Performance by the world famous Shaolin warrior monks followed at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. The Legislative Resolution leading to this historic event was authored by California Senator Dr. Leland Yee (then Speaker pro Tempore of the California Assembly), an avid supporter of Chinese culture.

On March 21, 2009, China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day was again celebrated in San Francisco, followed by another breathtaking Shaolin Kung Fu Performance at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on March 22, 2009, and a visit to the State Capitol five years after the 2004 proclamation of Shaolin Temple Day. The 6-day event was attended by thousands of local residents, honored guests and friends from around the world.

A large scale celebration is planned for the 10th Anniversity of Shaolin Temple Day in 2014 at multiple locations throughout the United States.

GeneChing

03-21-2011, 10:52 AM

Officially declared by California State Assembly's Speaker pro Tempore, Dr. Leland Yee, on March 21st, 2004.

I was planning to go to Shi Yanran's vegetarian BBQ yesterday, but it was pouring rain. :( I'm sure he would have said it was ganlu.

On another note, we'll be holding a special competition for Songshan Shaolin Champion at TCKFMCIII (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60021). Stay tuned. More to come!

GeneChing

03-21-2012, 09:13 AM

It's March 21st and I don't see any of the Shaolin Cultural Centers observing Songshan Shaolin Temple Day this year. I even have to skip practice tonight to meet with an author. :(

GeneChing

03-21-2012, 02:07 PM

I'm told that both Yanran and Yanxu are doing some sort of SSTD observance, but I'm not sure what exactly. Perhaps a member here can fill us in?

ShaolinDiva

03-23-2012, 09:13 AM

Shi Yan Xu of the Shaolin Temple Cultural Center in Temple City, CA has a celebration every year. I , in fact, didn't realize that it was official from the state and will plan to send it more to the press next year for more coverage.

The rain god hasn't been kind to us in the last two years as we planned for outside events (hiking, meditation, performances, picnic) therefore we had to change it this year again to back at the temple.

This year we had a Buddhist meditation lecture from all of our 4 shifu/masters. They spoke about how through Shaolin culture cultivation, one can reach "Chán wǔ 禅武 - martial zen " - learning Buddhism through Shaolin kung fu. Also how qi cultivation is intergrated through Shaolin kung fu with mind, body and spirit. The shifus demonstrated what their interpretation of how qi works through the body by combining the yin/yang - soft/hard .

We also had student performances, shifu performances and a talent show. We also had a buffet of vegetarian food.

We also received a special letter from the abbot congratulating us on Shaolin Temple Day and how Shaolin shall continue to spread its culture through out the USA.

We never charge for our events and is free to everybody who wants to come and celebrate with Shaolin shifus / masters.

Check out Facebook at Shaolin Temple Cultural Center for pictures.

GeneChing

03-23-2012, 09:18 AM

Coincidentally, I was just speaking to a rep from Senator Leland Yee's office yesterday. Such is the Shaolin Zone (http://www.amazon.com/Shaolin-Trips-Gene-Ching/dp/1424308976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276188031&sr=1-1), which I've been emerged in since our Shaolin Special 2012 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63260) went into production....;)

GeneChing

04-05-2012, 03:38 PM

Shaolin In My Heart is of course, the title of the Abbot's autobiography (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58024).
http://shaolinusa.us/images/shaolinday_contest2012_flyer.jpg

2012 Shaolin Temple Day (http://shaolinusa.us/event.shaolinday2012.html)
Art • Poetry • Essay Contest
Theme:
Shaolin In My Heart

• Call for Entries •
from Shaolin Temple Students, Alumni and their Families

This year, Shaolin Temple USA commemorate this special occasion with art, poetry and essays. We call for entries from all our current and former students and their families. From March 21, the proclaimed Shaolin Temple Day to April 20, 2012, we are accepting entries of artwork, poetry and essays with the general theme of Shaolin in My Heart. They can be work that you have previous done, or wthat your aregoing to create.

We have discovered that there are “Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons” amongst our students and their families. Our young students have vivid imaginations and love to draw. They have presented us with the most interesting depictions of Shaolin Kung Fu and their Sifus. Other students are accomplished artists, poets and writers in their own right.

All entries must be original work inspired by the theme Shaolin in My Heart. You can create artwork, poetry or essays around your personal knowledge, experience and aspirations about Shaolin culture and Shaolin spirit. Your work can be in English or Chinese.

Be creative, scholarly or humorous, all are welcome.

Entry Submission Deadline:
April 20, 2012

Why this Contest?

Since 2009, every year in March, Shaolin Temple USA has been celebrating China Song Shaolin Temple Day in different ways. In 2009, we produced a 6-day multiple-city celebration with the theme of: 1,500 Years of Cultural Heritage: Shaolin Chan Buddhism, Kung Fu and Medicine. Events included a whole-day celebration at San Francisco Union Square that began with a Buddhist Morning Prayer presided by Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin of Songshan Shaolin Temple; a large scale Shaolin Kung Fu Performance at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts; and a full day of celebration in Sacramento with official ceremonies at the State Senate and Assembly. In 2010, Shaolin Temple USA Culture Centers in San Francisco and Fremont, CA celebrated Shaolin Temple Day with Kung Fu Performances, Chan meditation and vegetarian food tasting. Last year, we celebrated Shaolin Temple Day with a Student Kung Fu Competition in the Shaolin Warrior spirit of “Valor, Diligence, Grace and Open Mindedness.” .

Now in 2012, we are highlighting “The Arts” as in four different areas of accomplishments that made Shaolin Temple famous for over a millenium: Chan Buddhism, Kung Fu, Medicine and the Arts. Songshan Shaolin Temple has been the home of many of China’s most distinguished poets, calligraphers and painters. Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Culture have inspired many brillant literary and artistic masterpieces throughout Chinese history. It is Shaolin Temple USA’s mission to carry on the tradition and promote Shaolin arts in America.

Who can participate:
All current Shaolin Temple USA students, alumni and their families

Age Divisions:
• Youth: Up to 14 years old
• Adult: 15 years & older

Awards:
First 3 places of the Youth and Adult Divisions
for Art, Poetry and Essays.
• 1st Place: Ink rubbing of the famous Shaolin Temple stele “Bodhidharma Crossing the River on a Reed.”
• 2nd Place: Blessed Jade Buddha Amulet
• 3rd Place: Theraputic Charcoal Neck Pillow

Announcement of Results:
May 6, 2012, on Shaolin Temple USA website,
by email and to the press.

Awards Ceremony:
Saturday, May 20, 2012 • At Shaolin Temple USA’s 5th Anniversary Celebration event. Place to be announced.

Display of Award Winning Work:
Digital representations of artwork, poetry and essays selected for awards will be exhibited on Shaolin Temple USA’s website. Original artwork or copy will be displayed at Shaolin Temple USA Culture Centers.

How to submit your work:

Digital review file of artwork: You may send a review version of your original art in jpg format no larger than 2 MB in size to: ShaolinTempleUSA@ShaolinUSA.us. If your submission is selected for an award, we may request the original artwork or higher resolution digital copy.
Original artwork: Submit to Shaolin Temple USA headquarters in San Francisco, 5509 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94121.
Poetry and Essays: Email with with entry form to ShaolinTempleUSA@ShaolinUSA.us.

Entry Form:

Download the Entry form (MS Word Doc) or request for one at the front desk. The form must be completely filled out and signed by the artist/author, or by a parent/guardian if participant is under 18 years old. The signed Entry Form can be in hard copy and delivered with your work, or in digital form submitted with your work by email.

CONTEST RULES

All entries shall be treated as being free of restrictions and limitations on their use, reproduction, and publication.

Entry Specifications

Title of Work: Give your work a unique name or title. “Shaolin In My Heart” is the theme.
Artwork (illustrations, drawings, paintings, etc. NO photographs please) must meet size requirements:
— Email submission for review: 2 MB
— Original art: 8.5"x11" to 24"x36"
All artwork must be signed and properly labeled on the back with:
— artist’s name
— title of work
— age group (Yourth or Adult)
— contact phone number
Poems: 30 lines or less.
Essays: 300-1,500 words in English; 500-2,000 word in Chinese.

Artist/author statement of originality:
Confirm that the entry is your own orginal creation. Describe your work and explain in 50-100 words what inspired the work.

Copyright release: Artist/artist grants full right to Shaolin Temple USA to use the submitted work in any manner it deems appropriate.

Submitted work will NOT be returned.

Origin of Shaolin Temple Day in the United States

On March 21, 2004, a China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation led by the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin was honored by the California State Assembly with the proclamation of “China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.” A full scale Shaolin Kung Fu Performance by the world famous Shaolin warrior monks followed at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. The Legislative Resolution leading to this historic event was authored by California Senator Dr. Leland Yee (then Speaker pro Tempore of the California Assembly), an avid supporter of Chinese culture.

On March 21, 2009, China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day was again celebrated in San Francisco, followed by another breathtaking Shaolin Kung Fu Performance at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on March 22, 2009, and a visit to the State Capitol five years after the 2004 proclamation of Shaolin Temple Day. The 6-day event was attended by thousands of local residents, honored guests and friends from around the world.

A large scale celebration is planned for the 10th Anniversity of Shaolin Temple Day in 2014 at multiple locations throughout the United States.

ShaolinDiva

04-13-2012, 09:32 AM

Read all about it here....

http://www.shaolin.org.cn/templates/EN_T_newS_list/index.aspx?nodeid=294&page=ContentPage&contentid=6214

GeneChing

03-05-2014, 12:07 PM

Wow, a decade gone by so quickly...

http://shaolinusa.us/images/shaolinday_bar1.jpg
http://shaolinusa.us/images/2014shaolinday_flyer2a.jpg

China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day (http://shaolinusa.us/event_2014shaolinday1.html#schedule)
10th Anniversary Celebration

March 17-23, 2014

Host:
• Shaolin Temple USA •

Cohosts:
• Co-hosts: Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of San Francisco •
• Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of Fremont, CA •
• Shaolin Temple USA Culture of Herndon, VA •
• Shaolin Kung Fu & Zen Medicine Wellness Center, Sunnyvale, CA •

Shaolin
1,500 Years of Cultural Heritage
Chan Buddhism • Shaolin Kung Fu • Shaolin Medicine

Events:

March 17, 2014 • Monday
12:30 pm
San Francisco International Airport
Airport Welcome for The Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin
and China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation

March 18, 2014 • Tuesday
2:00 pm
Press Conference at Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of San Francisco
7:00 pm
Welcome Banquet for Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin and Delegation

March 19, 2014 • Wednesday
5:00 pm
Forum: Kung Fu and Meditation in Buddhist Practice:
A View from the Shaolin Temple
Place: Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley
Event Sponsor: Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, UC Berkeley

March 21, 2014 • Friday
Celebration in California State Capitol, Sacramento

March 22, 2014 • Saturday
9:30 am
Buddhist Blessings Ceremony presided by Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin
5th Anniversary Celebration of Grand Opening
Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of San Francisco
Open to the public. Blessed amulet from the Abbot for everyone
Address: 5509 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA

March 22, 2014 • Saturday
7:00 pm
Magnificent Shaolin
Breathtaking Shaolin Kung Fu Performance by
The world famous Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco,CA
The splendid harmony of Shaolin Martial Arts & Chan Buddhism
that inhabits the ancient monastery comes to life on stage.
Show opens with
Buddhist Blessings Ceremony presided by Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin
• plus •
Shaolin Kung Fu recital by Sifus & students from
Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of San Francisco
Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of Fremont, CA
Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center of Herndon, VA
Stanford University HIP Shaolin Kung Fu class

For more information:
Please call 415-666-9966
Email: ShaolinTempleUSA@ShaolinUSA.us

Tickets: $38, $58, $78, $108 (VIP)
Buy Tickets on Line: « ChineseTicketBox.com ».
Hotline: 510-413-9988

March 23, 2014 • Sunday
10:00 am
Grand Opening of Shaolin Kung Fu & Zen Medicine Wellness Center
441 De Guigne Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94085
Buddhist Blessings & Unveiling Ceremony presided by Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin

March 23, 2014 • Sunday
4:00 pm
Zen Life Seminar & Workshop
6:00 pm
Zen Vegetarian Banquet
Place: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (Event Sponsor)

http://shaolinusa.us/images/ShaolinDay_SF2004.jpg
1st China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day, March 21, 2004
Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin and Shaolin Monks with State and City officials
after a performance of Shaolin Kung Fu at Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco.
Warrior Monk Shi Yanran (4th right, 1st row), now Executive Director of Shaolin Temple USA,
was a member of the 2004 China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation.

http://shaolinusa.us/images/sllogo-1.gif

China Songshan
Shaolin Temple
• Established 495 AD •
Birthplace of Chan Buddhism
& Shaolin Kung Fu

Chan Buddhism is known in some parts of the world as Zen Buddhism.

About Shaolin Temple Day

On March 21, 2004, a China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation led by the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin was honored by the California State Assembly with the proclamation of “China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.” A full scale Shaolin Kung Fu Performance by the world famous Shaolin warrior monks followed at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. The Legislative Resolution leading to this historic event was authored by California Senator Dr. Leland Yee (then Speaker pro Tempore of the California Assembly), an avid supporter of Chinese culture.

http://shaolinusa.us/images/Abbot_LelandYee2004.jpg
Senator Leland Yee presented Abbot Shi Yongxin with the Legislative Resolution on Shaolin Temple Day in 2004.

2009 Shaolin Temple Day

http://shaolinusa.us/images/2009ShaolinDay5.jpg
On Saturday, March 21, 2009, China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day was again celebrated in San Francisco, followed another breathtaking Shaolin Kung Fu Performance at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday March 22, 2009, and a visit to the State Capitol five years after the 2004 proclamation of Shaolin Temple Day.

GeneChing

03-11-2014, 01:46 PM

The Tiger Claw Foundation (http://tigerclawfoundation.org/) is supporting Magnificent Shaolin, part of the of Shaolin Temple Day 10th Anniversary Celebration, on March 22, 2014 at the Palace of Fine Arts, in San Francisco, CA.
In cooperation with ShaolinUSA.us (http://ShaolinUSA.us/) and KungFuMagazine.com.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1926768_10152361471604363_946568552_n.jpg

Hope to see you there.

GeneChing

03-17-2014, 09:16 AM

Just got this press release from Shaolin Temple USA:

The Venerable Shi Yongxin
Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple
Meets the Press
Date & Time: Monday 3/17/2014, 3 pm
Place: Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center, 5509 Geary Blvd. San Francisco
Contact: Diana Hong 415-666-9966
Website: www.ShaolinUSA.us
Email: ShaolinTempleUSA@ShaolinUSA.us

Host: Shaolin Temple USA
Founder: Master Shi Yanran
34th Generation Shaolin Temple Monk

Venerable Shi Yongxin, Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple
to visit Bay Area for
China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day
in California
10th Anniversary Celebration
March 17-23, 2014

*********************************************

The Venerable Shi Yongxin, Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple will arrive in San Francisco on March 17 to preside over Celebration events for the 10th Anniversary of "Songshan Shaolin Temple Day in California," March 17 - 23, 2014.

The California State Assembly first proclaimed March 21 as "China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day" in 2004 in recognition of the 1,500-year old Buddhist monastery's contributions to world civilization and the human spirit. Californians welcomed the Abbot and this friendship delegation with overwhelming reception and great interest in Shaolin traditions.

As Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple (est. 495 AD), birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, the Venerable Shi Yongxin is the leader of the Chan Buddhist sect with over 200,000,000 followers worldwide. He also serves on the People's Congress of the People's Republic of China as a representative of China's 120,000,000 Buddhist practitioners.

China Songshan Shaolin Temple is also the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu (martial arts) with tens of millions of practitioners around the globe. It is respected as the origin of many martial arts disciplines in different regions of the world.

The culture of Shaolin Temple is a unique blend of Buddhism and Kung Fu (martial arts). Besides for the self defense and health benefits, Shaolin monks train in Kung Fu as a form of spiritual cultivation. Shaolin Warrior Monks have toured over 60 countries and dazzled world audiences, including many heads of states, with their extraordinary prowess.

In 2009, the 5th Anniversary of Shaolin Temple Day was again celebrated in the Bay Area and at the State Capitol with great fanfare. The Abbot and a friendship delegation arrived for the weeklong festivities that included a whole-day-event at San Francisco's Union Square introducing Shaolin Temple's heritage in Chan (Zen) Buddhism, Shaolin Kung Fu (martial arts) and Shaolin Medicine, and a theatrical production featuring the legendary Shaolin Warrior Monks at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.

The 10th Anniversary festivities that span 6 days and multiple cities are hosted by Shaolin Temple USA, an official overseas cultural institution of Songshan Shaolin Temple. The Abbot visits California to further the cultural exchanges and share the wonders and benefits of Shaolin Temple's rich cultural heritage with the American people.

GeneChing

03-19-2014, 09:26 AM

The Welcoming Banquet was held at Cathay House in Chinatown SF. Unfortunately, that restaurant didn't really know how to cook Buddhist vegetarian food. :( But the gathering was nice and the demo was good.

See our facebook album: 10th Anniversary of Shaolin Temple Day (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152361471354363.1073741854.135964689362&type=3)

More to come.

GeneChing

03-20-2014, 11:21 AM

On China Daily Africa, no less (which explains why they can't spell the name of our fine city correctly. :rolleyes:

Shaolin Temple Day to celebrate in San Fransisco (http://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2014-03/18/content_17356533.htm)
Updated: 2014-03-18 15:01

http://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/img/attachement/jpg/site1/20140318/eca86bd9e3d21492289b55.jpg

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Songshan Shaolin Temple Day on March 21, the State of California will host a cultural delegation from China led by Shi Yongxin, the 30th-generation abbot of the legendary Shaolin Temple. Shi made a speech on a press conference at Shaolin Temple USA in San Francisco, March 17, 2014. The delegation will stay at San Francisco Bay Area for one week. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Here's a longer China Daily piece:

California honors origin of kung fu (http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2014-03/19/content_17359862.htm)
Updated: 2014-03-19 08:28
By An Baijie in Beijing and Chen Jia in San Francisco (China Daily)

Shaolin Temple delegates welcomed in US to commemorate martial art

California put its best foot forward to celebrate a special day and welcome a delegation from Shaolin Temple, a birthplace of kung fu.

The delegation, led by the temple's abbot Shi Yongxin, arrived in the United States on Monday to attend activities commemorating the 10th anniversary of the California State Assembly's unanimous passing of Resolution 675, which designated March 21 as Songshan Shaolin Temple Day in the state.

"During the past 10 years, we have met and shared Shaolin culture with folks of different races, beliefs, faiths, ages and backgrounds," Shi said at a news conference on his arrival in San Francisco.

"Our efforts have been supported and recognized by local officials, higher-education institutions, such as Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley, as well as by various communities," he said.

Shi will also attend activities commemorating the seventh anniversary of the establishment of Shaolin Temple USA in San Francisco.

Shi Yanran, executive director of Shaolin Temple USA, said on Monday that Shaolin kung fu has more than 4 million fans and followers in North America.

"Ten years ago, Americans' knowledge of kung fu came from Hollywood movies and Bruce Lee," he said. "Today, they have a more mature understanding about the spirit and power behind kung fu."

Shaolin Temple USA has been able to attract many followers because it provides an easy way of sharing the wisdom of Buddhism and Shaolin's contribution to the peace and health of mankind, he said.

At Stanford, more than 200 professors and students learn Shaolin kung fu every Friday on campus under a university health promotion plan coordinated by Stanford's school of medicine, he said.

Shi Yongxin, the temple's 30th abbot, kicked off, literally, the weeklong trip on Monday with 20 monks, including some kung fu performers.

Shi will attend a forum on Wednesday - Kung fu and medication in Buddhist practice: A view from the Shaolin Temple - at UC Berkeley.

Saturday sees three key engagements. First, a Buddhism blessing ceremony, presided over by Shi, will be held at the Shaolin Temple USA Culture Center in San Francisco.

Later, the visiting monks will perform Shaolin kung fu at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco. Shaolin Temple USA students will give a display of martial arts.

Shi will also attend a blessing and inauguration ceremony at the Shaolin Kung Fu & Zen Medicine Wellness Center in Sunnyvale, California.

"We hope to show the harmonious philosophy of Shaolin culture and the healthy lifestyle of Shaolin Zen meditation and let everybody experience the essence of Asian culture," he said.

Located in mountainous Dengfeng, Henan province, Shaolin Temple has a history stretching back more than 1,500 years.

The temple has been busy on the international front recently. In October the First North American Shaolin Cultural Festival opened at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event drew 45 teams and more than 800 competitors from North America, along with thousands of Shaolin culture enthusiasts and Chinese martial arts enthusiasts.

The festival highlighted various aspects of Shaolin heritage with kung fu performances in New York and Los Angeles.

Also that month, Shi gave a lecture on the wisdom of Buddhists at Harvard University.

About 200,000 foreigners visit Shaolin Temple every year, and hundreds stay at the temple to study kung fu and experience Shaolin culture, Shi said.

Its popularity is closely related to China's rapid development in the past decades, the abbot said.

Ling Jiefang, a writer, said that as an ancient Buddhist monastery, the Shaolin Temple has a historical and cultural value that is unique.

GeneChing

03-20-2014, 03:24 PM

See photos on Tiger Claw's facebook album: Shaolin Temple Abbot, Venerable Shi Yongxin, visits Tiger Claw (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152857402297715.1073741836.140138252714&type=3)

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1240367_10152857403387715_968057679_n.jpg

Asian Pearl in Fremont provided an excellent vegetarian banquet. Fremont beat S.F.

GeneChing

03-24-2014, 08:40 AM

Magnificent Shaolin was fun - nice souvenirs. I'll have some pix up on our facebook album (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152361471354363.1073741854.135964689362&type=3) later this week.

Here's some more English coverage - not much really. Of course, we'll have a full report in our next issue. :cool:

Google and Apple Meet Shaolin Kung Fu (http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/google-and-apple-meet-shaolin-kung-fu/)
Added by Tina Zhang on March 23, 2014.

http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Google-and-Apple-Met-Shaolin-Kung-Fu-650x404.jpg

The Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin leading China Songshan Shaolin Temple Delegation visited Google on March 19 and Apple on March 20. Although the technology world is vastly different from the Kung Fu and Zen of the Shaolin Temple, when the two worlds meet, Shi Yongxin said he saw similarities between working at Google and practicing Kung Fu, and the Apple products have a touch of Zen.

In the Headquarter of Google, the activities include touring office, experiencing products demonstration, giving speech and Shaolin monks Kung Fu performance. Laszlo Bock, Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, welcomed the Shaolin Temple Delegation, and expressed interests in embedding Shaolin Culture into the Google Culture.

Shi Yongxin gave a half hour speech. He introduced the history and culture of the Shaolin Temple and highly praised the contribution of Google in the development of Internet. He said Google has greatly helped connect people and places, share knowledge and make life more convenient, and the mission of Google in promoting freedom of information shares similarities with the concept of equality in Zen. He was impressed by the relaxing and pleasant working environment of Google and compared it to the fun of practicing Kung Fu. In the question and answer session, Shi Yongxin said the advancement in communications is welcomed in Shaolin Temple to help spread the Zen and Kung Fu to a wider audience.

The speech was in Chinese and the temporary translator struggled multiple times in translating specific Buddhism concepts and scripts. If a translator with Buddhism background can be found, it may help the audience understand the speech better. Nevertheless the speech was well received. This mismatch in translation reminds Chinese people of the movie The Grandmaster of 2013, in which the English translations were considered disappointing as the wisdom, the complexity and the connections in Chinese language were often lost.

The Shaolin Kung Fu performance in Google, to everyone’s surprise, used music from the soundtrack of Pirates of the Caribbean, while employees in Apple missed out on the authentic Kung Fu as it was not part of the meeting there.

In Apple, Shi Yongxin was welcomed by Tim Cook and they had a discussion on apple products and Zen. Tim Cook said he is practicing Zen by meditating 15 to 20 minutes every day to sustain the inner peace. Shi Yongxin praised the simplicity and purity of Apple, and its minimalist approach and cleanness is like Zen. Mr. Cook expressed concern over the air pollution in China and said he is willing to provide as much help as possible. Shi Yongxin replied that high-tech communications nowadays can help reduce driving trips thus reduce tailpipe pollution.

Mr. Cook also demonstrated the capacity of iTunes in creating lessons and Shi Yongxin expressed interests and considered it would be a helpful tool in spreading the Shaolin Culture. Mr. Cook hoped iTunes can be used by Shaolin Temple and there would be further cooperation between Apple and Shaolin Temple. Mr. Cook asked if there is Wi-Fi coverage and Shi Yongxin said yes and the coverage will increase to the whole temple area soon.

Established in 495 AD, Songshan Shaolin Temple in China is the birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, which has played a decisive role in the history of Chinese Buddhism and the history of culture of China. Shaolin Kung Fu, considered the origin of all Kung Fu, is actually the unity of Chan and Martial Arts. But most people only think Kung Fu equals martial arts.

The Shaolin Temple Delegation came to U.S. to attend series of celebration of “China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day” on March 21, which was established ten years ago under the effort of California Senator Dr. Leland Yee. This year the celebration is between March 18 and March 23. Shaolin Kung Fu and Shi Yongxin are considered as celebrity to be invited to meet Google and Apple, showing an increasing appreciation of China cultures and Chan Buddhism. Other activities on the delegation’s itinerary includes visiting Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, performing Kung Fu San Francisco and meeting government officials.

By Tina Zhang

GeneChing

03-25-2014, 08:50 AM

That was a newsworthy stop. I have some exclusive comments from the Abbot on it which will appear in the report in our next issue (JUL+AUG 2014)

Shaolin kung-fu monks visit Google, try on Glass, manage not to kick anybody’s ass (http://www.techinasia.com/shaolin-monks-take-kung-fu-to-google-and-try-on-google-glass/)
March 25, 2014at 7:45 pmby Steven Millward

http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-03.jpg

The martial arts experts at China’s Shaolin Temple have been around for centuries, but they’re not stuck in a time-warp. The kung-fu masters are pretty business savvy, and that was on display last week when a delegation of Shaolin monks visited Google HQ in California. The photos from Shaolin’s own site show that the current abbot, master Shi Yongxin, led the kung-fu crew in meeting with Google’s Laszlo Bock (pictured in a grey suit). Abbot Shi (pictured in orange robes) has transformed Shaolin into a global brand under his leadership for the past decade. The cultural exchange saw the monks trying on Google Glass and learning about other Google products. Monks from the Shaolin Cultural Center in San Francisco joined in. In turn, Googlers got a close-up demonstration of marital arts. Here are more photos:

http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-0.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-01.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-04.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-05.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-06.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-07.jpg
http://cdn.techinasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shaolin-kung-fu-monks-visit-Google-try-on-Google-Glass-08.jpg

LFJ

03-26-2014, 06:30 AM

http://shanghaiist.com/2014/03/26/shaolins_37th_chamber_brought_to_yo.php

Of course Shaolin monks love Google Glass

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2014/03/monk-glass1.jpg

Detailed in an article on their official web site, the kung-fu experts from Henan's Shaolin temple decided to take a break from their daily routine of kicking ass to visit the Google HQ in San Francisco so they could try on Google Glass, give a presentation on Shaolin, and - of course - show off their sweet, sweet moves.

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2014/03/monk-glass2.jpg

Led by their fearless leader/firm believer in the existence of aliens Abbot Shi Yongxin, the monks answered questions from Google employees about their awesome lifestyle. The group of Shaolin monks were joined by members of San Francisco's Shaolin Cultural Center, but unfortunately neither RZA, nor GZA, nor any other members of Wu-Tang past or present could be found.

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2014/03/monk-glass3.jpg

The event did, however, culminate in the ridiculously awesome photo-op of Abbot Shi sporting Google Glass. One possible reason for this cross-cultural event at Google is the company's recent attempts to make Glass "hipper." Google apparently announced yesterday that it signed a deal with Luxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban and Oakley, to design and sell new frames for Glass, in an attempt to make wearers not look like crazed cyborgs.

If assembling the forces of Shaolin is all just a part of Google's campaign to make Glass cool...well, then they're most definitely playing their cards right.

wenshu

03-26-2014, 06:48 PM

The Shaolin Temple Delegation came to U.S. to attend series of celebration of “China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day” on March 21, which was established ten years ago under the effort of California Senator Dr. Leland Yee.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/26/california-state-senator-arrested-in-fbi-sweep/

The allegations against State Sen. Leland Yee were outlined in an FBI affidavit in support of a criminal complaint against him and 25 other people. The affidavit was unsealed on Wednesday, as Yee was scheduled to appear in court.

Yee performed "official acts" in exchange for donations from undercover FBI agents, as he sought to dig himself out of a $70,000 debt incurred during a failed San Francisco mayoral bid, according to court documents.

Yee is also accused of accepting $10,000 in January 2013 from an undercover agent in exchange for his making a call to the California Department of Public Health in support of a contract under consideration with the agency.

Also named in the affidavit is Raymond Chow. Chow, who is also known as "Shrimp Boy," was the former leader of a Chinese criminal organization with ties to Hong Kong.

More about "Shrimp Boy", more like "Snitch Boy".

He was later convicted of gun charges and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He spent 11 years in prison and was released in 2003 after he cut a deal with the government to testify against another high-ranking associate, Peter Chong. Chong was later convicted of racketeering.

GeneChing

03-27-2014, 08:43 AM

I guess we know now why Dr. Yee wasn't present for the 10th Anniversary celebration. It's such a shame really. He was the highest government official with whom I spent the most time. :(

ShaolinDiva

03-27-2014, 08:51 AM

My thoughts exactly on his MIA non-appearance ... This trial is going to be very interesting to say the least. :eek:

hskwarrior

03-27-2014, 08:27 PM

I'm not in jail. LMAO.

you play you pay. I don't owe anything.

pazman

03-28-2014, 01:45 PM

SoCo KungFu

03-30-2014, 08:49 AM

Looks like I owe hsk an apology...apparently tongs still engage in sh!tlicking behavior.

With Shrimb poy locked up, does that mean the waiters in Chinese restaurants can start getting their tips now?

I'm less concerned about the restaurant waiters than I am the kids forced into prostitution.

GeneChing

03-31-2014, 08:19 AM

Shrimp Boy and the Senator (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67441-Shrimp-Boy-and-the-Senator) has it's own thread now so we can pursue that discussion there. Meanwhile, I just posted the second-to-last batch of photos from the show on our fb album (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152361471354363.1073741854.135964689362&type=3). Tomorrow I'll post the rest and we can move on to next year. ;)

GeneChing

04-21-2014, 08:33 AM

Shaolin Monks Own Smartphones, Are Not Allowed To Play Video Games (http://kotaku.com/shaolin-monks-own-smartphones-are-not-allowed-to-play-1565469065)
Eric Jou
Today 5:00am

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--2AGnoLMS--/c_fit,fl_progressive,w_636/clnfzr648t1w82lyu9fc.jpg

The Shaolin Temple, that place you hear about in all those Wu-Tang rap songs, is very much part of the 21st century. But despite the Shaolin monks and their affinity for technology, according to the abbot, video games and television are off limits.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in China's Henan province, recently concluded a trip to the United States. Shi was in the States visiting tech giants and learning about the prospects of how the rise of information and technology affects our lives as well as how they can help spread Shaolin teachings.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hwINqEE_--/c_fit,fl_progressive,w_636/ffulp012ku3wn4z7glrx.bmp

During his trip, Shi had visited Apple, Google, and Stanford University. He even met with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

In a press briefing with Chinese journalists this week, Shi talked about the virtues of the information age. He also touched on a few subjects such as video games and TV. According to Shi, video games can be addictive and television shows limit people so both forms of entertainment are completely off limits to the Shaolin monks.

This statement from Shi is kind of interesting. Shi has been known as the man that brought the Shaolin Temple to the 21st century. He helped launch the Shaolin Temple's website. He ordered the construction of a guest house on the Temple grounds as well as other various construction projects.

With Shi's penchant for moving the temple forward, he's also opened up the Shaolin monks under his tutelage to a wider world of troubles and temptations. Which is why I think it's odd that he's forbidding monks from partaking in TV and video games which can be innocuous as well as terrible.

On the flip side, Shi's argument against gaming and TV is understandable. Shaolin monks are supposed to live a life free of worldly desires. That and they're supposed be kicking ass.

Top Photo: SIHASAKPRACHUM | Shutterstock Where in the vows are Tv & videogames banned? :rolleyes:

ShaolinDan

04-21-2014, 10:22 PM

Where in the vows are Tv & videogames banned? :rolleyes:

Where in the temple are they banned? :p

GeneChing

04-22-2014, 07:58 AM

In a press briefing with Chinese journalists this week, Shi talked about the virtues of the information age. He also touched on a few subjects such as video games and TV. According to Shi, video games can be addictive and television shows limit people so both forms of entertainment are completely off limits to the Shaolin monks. This is just what this reporter reported. So who knows?

I will say that when I was first there in '95, there were a ton of videogame parlors surrounding the temple to cater to that huge population of kids. Now, I'm not a videogamer at all, but some of the other laowai training alongside me convinced me that they were videogamers and noted that the videogames around Shaolin at the time were some of the newest fresh-off-the-boat games from Japan, all in the wrong cabinets. They theorized that these were some sort of out-the-side-door bootlegs being manufactured in PRC and getting leaked. Those videogame parlors are long gone, vanished with the great relocation purge when Yongxin took office.

As for TVs, I took my disciple vows in a private room of a senior monk inside the temple. He had a TV. I made note of it in my book (http://www.martialartsmart.com/btc-gc01.html) because it had this surreal little TV cozy covering it up. Of course, I took my disciple vows in 96, before Yongxin became abbot.

Meanwhile, check this out:

Moment of Neti-zen: Wi-Fi for Shaolin monks start of bad habit? (http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/855924.shtml#.U1aEGiiIBrI)
Global Times | 2014-4-21 22:43:01
By Global Times

Are you up on what the hundreds of millions of Chinese netizens are talking about? Take a moment and get the rundown of what's hot, what's trending, and what's drawing the most buzz on the Chinese blogosphere.

Wi-Fi for Shaolin monks start of bad habit?

At the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, those seeking inner peace can now search for it online.

Monks can finally connect to wireless Internet on their smartphones after offices at the 1,500-year-old temple were recently equipped with Wi-Fi, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

No signal is available in the monks' chambers, as not to disrupt their regimented lifestyle, said the report.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, championed the move for Wi-Fi access, explaining it provides a gateway to preserving and sharing Shaolin culture.

The monks are forbidden from playing online games or watching soap operas.

Shi led a delegation to the Google and Apple headquarters in California in mid March, where he praised the connectivity the Web provides.

Ironically, Net users were quick to type out their dissatisfaction over the idea of Shaolin monks with Wi-Fi, saying Internet access would provide too much of a distraction.

"With Wi-Fi at the temple, how can monks achieve inner peace with all the noise on the Internet?" posted Huangwenzheng.

Others saw the move as progressive.

"Old ways are not always flawless," said Mubairuoying, "During the information age, keeping the temple offline would stop Shaolin and Zen Buddhism from spreading.

GeneChing

03-10-2016, 09:57 AM

Shoot. What happened last year?

Los Angeles celebrates 1500 years of Shaolin Temple's cultural heritage (http://www.eturbonews.com/69277/los-angeles-celebrates-1500-years-shaolin-temples-cultural-herit)

http://www.eturbonews.com/files/imagecache/fullpage/imageupload/0a1_4571.jpg

Mar 10, 2016
LOS ANGELES, CA - Los Angeles Chinatown Business Improvement District brings 1500 years of Shaolin Temple's cultural heritage to Los Angeles in celebration of Shaolin Temple Day LA. Twelve years ago, the California State Assembly proclaimed March 21st 2004 as China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day. A full zodiac cycle later, Los Angeles Chinatown commemorates the special day with an evening of Shaolin martial arts, meditation studies, cultural workshops, and vegetarian cuisine showcases.

The festival will showcase the four pillars of Shaolin teachings - the study of Zen Buddhism, Martial Arts, Wellness and Medicine, and Classic Arts. Shaolin Masters will perform the highest levels of Kung Fu and offer group lessons of basic forms to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to join workshops in meditation, Traditional Chinese Medicine and therapy, and try their hand at the classic Chinese art of calligraphy. Curious attendees can even experience a day in the life of a Shaolin warrior monk by participating in a traditional training drill and sampling vegetarian cuisine.

WHEN: Saturday, March 19th, 2016
5PM - 8PM - Event

WHO: Master Shi Yanxu, Shaolin Temple Cultural Center USA
Members of the Shaolin Temple Cultural Center

WHERE: Los Angeles Chinatown Historic Central Plaza
943-951 N. Broadway, Los Angeles CA 90012

GeneChing

03-21-2016, 08:56 AM

In honor of Songshan Shaolin Temple Day, MartialArtsMart.com is offering up to 60% OFF on select Shaolin gear (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shaolin-style.html). Offer ends at midnight EST tonight.

amitoufo!

GeneChing

03-22-2016, 10:19 AM

Mao bu = cat stance. :rolleyes:

Shaolin monk is bringing more than kung fu to Chinatown (http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0318-shaolin-chinatown-20160319-story.html)
http://www.trbimg.com/img-56eeeb3f/turbine/la-me-0318-shaolin-chinatown-20160319-001/750/750x422
Master Shi Yanxu teaches children kung fu outdoors at the Far East Plaza in Chinatown. Yanxu ran away from home at a young age to train as a monk at the Shaolin Temple. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Frank Shyong

On the second floor of Far East Plaza in Chinatown, six kung fu students assume warlike expressions and ball their hands into fists.

Shaolin Master Shi Yanxu bellows a command:

"Mao Bu" — Chinese for "cat stance."

The kids twist into an ornate crouch, their shouts mingling with the rap soundtrack of Chego, chef Roy Choi's downstairs rice-bowl restaurant.

It's one of the first classes in Chinatown's new Shaolin Yanxu GongFa Center, a kung fu school that Yanxu hopes will help him complete his official mission: bringing the culture of China's Songshan Shaolin Temple to a more diverse, modern audience.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56eeeb63/turbine/la-me-0318-shaolin-chinatown-20160319-002/750/750x422
Master Shi Yanxu adjusts the stance of Issei Sundius, 5. The Shaolin philosophy is not about a name or a person, Yanxu says. It's about what you have been able to learn. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

The Chinatown Business Improvement District will commemorate the opening Saturday with a daylong celebration featuring martial arts demonstrations, Buddhist vegetarian food and meditation.

Yanxu's mission involves establishing more learning centers like the one in Chinatown, clarifying Shaolin precepts for other instructors and raising money for a temple he hopes to build.

But sometimes it's as simple as teaching a 5-year-old the difference between left and right.

"Whoa, what's up?" Yanxu reaches down and taps the leg of one of his students "This is your left leg." The student giggles and incorporates the correct limb into his stance.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56eeeb67/turbine/la-me-0318-shaolin-chinatown-20160319-003/750/750x422
Master Shi Yanxu teaches the martial art of kung fu to children at the Far East Plaza in Chinatown. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Born to farmers in Dengfeng, China, a few miles away from the Shaolin Temple, Yanxu ran away from home at a young age to train as a monk. He eventually became Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin's personal assistant, and on a 2006 trip to America, Yongxin asked him to stay behind and spread Shaolin culture through the United States.

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At 28, Yanxu had never driven a car or owned a cellphone or computer. He arrived in Los Angeles to find that Shaolin, thanks to Jet Li films and Wu-Tang Clan rap songs, had become an industry.

Yanxu slept at a Buddhist temple in Monterey Park and cooked vegetarian food to earn room and board. He took English classes at Pasadena City College and taught a kung fu class at Griffith Park to raise money.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56eeeb6a/turbine/la-me-0318-shaolin-chinatown-20160319-004/750/750x422
Max Moreno, 7, gets a hand up from Master Shi Yanxu. The master's mission involves establishing more learning centers like the one in Chinatown and raising funds for a temple he hopes to one day build. He teaches 300 students at three centers in Southern California. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

When he went to apply for a business license using the name "Shaolin Temple," he found more than 200 other businesses using the name, Yanxu said. The temple had provided documents certifying that he was an official Shaolin monk, but counterfeiters replicated them so perfectly that they looked more authentic than the real thing.

When he opened his first center in Temple City in 2008, attorneys from the more established kung fu academies told him that he had to stop using the name of Shaolin, Yanxu said with a laugh. He kept using it, and they never followed up with the lawsuits.

Yanxu said he doesn't mind that so many are using his temple's name. And besides, it's not a monk's habit to bad-mouth other people.

"The Shaolin philosophy is not about a name or a person," Yanxu said. "It's about what you have been able to learn."

These days, Yanxu, a monk with an iPhone 6 and a Facebook page, drives a leased Ford sedan to teach classes at centers in Temple City, Walnut and Chinatown.

He has about 300 students over three centers. There are larger Shaolin kung fu academies around Southern California, but his students say Yanxu doesn't just teach martial arts.

"Most of the shifus I had in the past, they teach the moves, and I thought that was kung fu," said Julian Nara, one of his students and an instructor. "With Master Shi, he teaches the meaning behind the move."

Stephan Hambsch's 7-year-old daughter, Ryan, is one of Yanxu's first Chinatown students.

Hambsch, like many Shaolin fans in the U.S., first heard about the martial art through the Wu-Tang Clan, who released several rap albums and a video game that mentions Shaolin kung fu.

His Netflix queue is full of kung fu films, and he's been eagerly waiting for his daughter to be old enough to enroll in classes. He was particularly excited for her to learn from an official Shaolin monk.

"I think I might start taking the class," Hambsch joked.

Yanxu said he moved to Chinatown to encourage more people like Hambsch to take up the robes. It takes 10 years to fully learn Shaolin, Yanxu said, and many of his students in America are casual learners. But as long as they're having fun and getting exercise, he is spreading Shaolin and completing his mission, Yanxu said.

"Shaolin cannot be a closed community," Yanxu said. "We want to be open to people of all kinds."

GeneChing

03-15-2017, 03:20 PM

We've covered Songshan Shaolin Temple Day since its inception in 2004. Songshan Shaolin Temple Day was officially declared by California State Assembly's Speaker pro Tempore, Dr. Leland Yee, on March 21st, 2004. For the whole story, see my article Shaolin Temple in San Francisco Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin, California’s “Songshan Shaolin Temple Day,” UNESCO and a Buddhist Music Concert in our July/August 2004 Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=500).

Well, we all know what happened to Leland Yee (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67441-Shrimp-Boy-and-the-Senator&p=1300336#post1300336). :o

Anyone doing anything for Shaolin Temple Day 2017?

GeneChing

03-21-2018, 10:03 AM

Here we are, the day after equinox (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70740-Happy-Equinox!), March 21 2018, the 14th anniversary of Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.

And nothing. I don't see a single thing on the newsfeeds. This is why we can't have nice things. No follow through.

I even forgot to wear a Shaolin shirt today. :o

GeneChing

03-21-2018, 10:11 AM

A Shaolin Festival was held in Rosemead CA last Sunday in honor of Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.

They had a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/384858761977852/).

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28279532_1241236509341399_3887694128200708170_n.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=754575ea0692c356340d2708c62868d3&oe=5B4940DB

Shaolin festival
Date: MARCH 18, 2018 TIME: 1PM
LOCATION:
Rosemead Park 4343 Encinita Ave,
Rosemead, CA 91770
We will have Event “shaolin festival ” on 3/18 (sun) this year. Bring your friends and family to come join.
Featuring
• Martial arts demostration brought to you
by all SoCal Shaolin Kung Fu Schools.
• Meditation Sessions
• Wellness Exhibits
• Interactive Kung Fu Lessons and Games
• Tea Ceremony and Tasting
• Incense Ceremony
• Guqin, Guzheng Performances
• Gift Bags
• Gift Lottery
Organizer:
美國少林寺文化中心
Shaolin Temple Cultural Center USA
www.shaolinus.com
洛杉磯少林寺文化中心
Shaolin Temple Cultural Center Chinatown LA
www.shaolinus.com
少林武士學院
Shaolin warrior academy
https://www.discovershaolin.com/
聖地亞哥少林寺
Shaolin Temple San Diego
www.Shaolintemplesd.com
美国橙县少林寺文化中心
Orange County Shaolin Temple Cultural Center
www.shaolinyq.com
美國少林功夫中心
U S Kung fu center
www.uskungfucenter.com
少林寺禪武中心
Shaolin temple Kung fu center
www.shaolinabc.com
少林功夫院
Shaolin Kungfu Yuan Arcadia School
www.usshaolinkungfuyuan.com
拉斯維加斯少林功夫禪
Shaolin Kungfu Chan Las Vegas
www.KungFuChan.com
核桃市少林寺文化中心
Shaolin Temple Cultural Center Walnut
www.shaolinus.com
奇諾崗市少林寺文化中心
Shaolin Temple Cultural Center Chino Hills
www.shaolinus.co

Here's a participant vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V47UaMEveeo

Now I feel really bad about my lack of Shaolin attire today. :(

GeneChing

03-18-2019, 08:29 AM

Monday, March 18, 2019
Songshan Shaolin Temple Day celebrated in Los Angeles (ht19:47, 18-Mar-2019
[URL="https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d334d444e33457a6333566d54/index.html)
CGTN

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d334d444e33457a6333566d54/img/0ac237cfa53e4c128c92af6597c863db/0ac237cfa53e4c128c92af6597c863db.jpg

Shaolin Kungfu Chan Academy in Los Angeles hosted an annual workout event Sunday in Hacienda Heights, a suburban area east of downtown Los Angeles, in celebration of California's Songshan Shaolin Temple Day.

Hundreds of local residents and Chinese Kungfu fans took part in the event at Thomas Burton Park, where a variety of interactive sessions were prepared to allow them to experience Shaolin culture, including Chan meditation, martial arts and more.

"I attend (the) Shaolin Temple Day event every single year," said Jacob Fletcher, a local resident. "Chan philosophy is good for my body and mind. I love it, and want to know more about it."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d334d444e33457a6333566d54/img/3172fcf3c63848e79f4997700392134f/3172fcf3c63848e79f4997700392134f.jpg
The gate of Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, June 13, 2009. /VCG Photo

"We have hosted Songshan Shaolin Temple Day celebrations here for five years in a row," said Shi Yanyue, head of the academy. "The event is widely welcomed in the community. Our goal is to share Chan culture with American people."

In January 2004, the California State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to designate March 21 as "Songshan Shaolin Temple Day." On March 23, 2009, the California State Senate also passed a similar resolution to set the celebration day in recognition of the 1,500-year-old Shaolin cultural heritage.

A Shaolin martial arts display at a cultural event held by a shopping mall in Los Angeles, January 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

"Shaolin Kungfu is more than martial arts," proclaimed the Senate resolution. "It is a discipline that helps people achieve better physical and spiritual balance. And the Shaolin teachings enable many Californians to find common ground in our diversity."

Shaolin Temple, a Chan Buddhist temple in Henan Province of China, is famous as an ancestral monastery of the Chan sect, "mecca" of Kungfu and medical practices of Buddhism.

Shaolin Kungfu combines Zen meditations from the Buddhist sect Chanzong (one of the most important branches of Buddhism in China) with martial arts, and it is known for its sharp, powerful and accurate movements and efficient skills in defense and attack.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d334d444e33457a6333566d54/img/d1d9f556d86b44bd9f46a339fc58cb86/d1d9f556d86b44bd9f46a339fc58cb86.jpg
(Shaolin participants perform at a show in Chania, Greece, August 10, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Glad to see LA is still observing this. I haven't heard of anything happening here in the SF Bay Area. We have Berkeley CMAT this weekend (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36106-Who-s-going-to-Berkeley-CMAT-this-year&p=1313120#post1313120), and I hear they are doing special Shaolin divisions akin to what we started last year with the Songshan Shaolin division at the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/info/tournament/SONGSHAN_SHAOLIN.html). I understand Shi Yanran (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1036) is pushing for that, so perhaps it's in honor of Songshan Shaolin Day. We shall see.