To WCK practitioners: Who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

[chusauli]

According to legends, Kang Xi burned down the Shaolin (and the Northern Song Shan temple, at that!).

Grandmaster Yip Man wrote:

"During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722) fighting skills became very strong in the Shaolin Monastary of Songshan, in Henan Province. This aroused the fear of the Manchurian government, which sent troops to attack the Monastery. Although they were unsuccessful, a man named Chan Man-Wai, a recently appointed civil servant seeking favor with the government, suggested a plan. He plotted with Shaolin monk named Ma Ning-Yee and others who were persuaded to betray their companions by setting fire to the monastery while soldiers attacked it from the outside. Shaolin was burned down, and the monks and disciples scattered. Ng Mui, Jee Shim, Bak Mei, Fung Do-Dak and Miu Hin escaped and went their separate ways."

But in history, there is no mention:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/311006/Kangxi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor


So who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

[chusauli]

Who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

According to WCK legends, Emperor Kang Xi burned down the Shaolin (and the Northern Song Shan temple, at that!). This led to the rise of the Southern Fist legends.

Grandmaster Yip Man wrote:

"During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722) fighting skills became very strong in the Shaolin Monastary of Songshan, in Henan Province. This aroused the fear of the Manchurian government, which sent troops to attack the Monastery. Although they were unsuccessful, a man named Chan Man-Wai, a recently appointed civil servant seeking favor with the government, suggested a plan. He plotted with Shaolin monk named Ma Ning-Yee and others who were persuaded to betray their companions by setting fire to the monastery while soldiers attacked it from the outside. Shaolin was burned down, and the monks and disciples scattered. Ng Mui, Jee Shim, Bak Mei, Fung Do-Dak and Miu Hin escaped and went their separate ways."

But in history, there is no mention:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/311006/Kangxi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor


So who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

_________________
Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac., QME
chusauli@gmail.com

[Shaolinlueb]

the chinese did it

[doug maverick]

Who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

According to WCK legends, Emperor Kang Xi burned down the Shaolin (and the Northern Song Shan temple, at that!). This led to the rise of the Southern Fist legends.

Grandmaster Yip Man wrote:

"During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722) fighting skills became very strong in the Shaolin Monastary of Songshan, in Henan Province. This aroused the fear of the Manchurian government, which sent troops to attack the Monastery. Although they were unsuccessful, a man named Chan Man-Wai, a recently appointed civil servant seeking favor with the government, suggested a plan. He plotted with Shaolin monk named Ma Ning-Yee and others who were persuaded to betray their companions by setting fire to the monastery while soldiers attacked it from the outside. Shaolin was burned down, and the monks and disciples scattered. Ng Mui, Jee Shim, Bak Mei, Fung Do-Dak and Miu Hin escaped and went their separate ways."

But in history, there is no mention:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/311006/Kangxi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor


So who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

_________________
Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac., QME
chusauli@gmail.com

no offense but, why is this posted in this section? think you'll get more traffic in the wing chun or southern kung fu section then the pop culture section.

[GeneChing]

time to move this thread there...

[chusauli]

I had it here in the first place...LOL!

[Hardwork108]

Sometimes I get the feeling that it was one of T Niehoff's ancestors who burnt down the Shaolin Temple....LOL.

It might even have been him in a previous encarnation.

I guess we might never know the real story.

[chusauli]

Yes, it was the Red and Black checkered flag WCK people who burned down the temple.

If history recorded the burning of the Fujian Shaolin, we would have some historical reference for the founding of the 5 elders of Southern Shaolin or even the origin of the Tian Di Hui and Hung Mun...if it was all fantasy, then what was the movement that led to the founding of these 2 traditions?

[hskwarrior]

According to traditional triad history, the Qing Empire burned down the Fujian Shaolin Temple on Gau Lin San. It's stated that one of the emperor's officials was jealous of the fame the Shaolin Monks received. So he brainwashed the emperor that if the Monks were the only ones to defeat the XILU then how easy would it be to defeat the empire if they wanted. So the Emperor ordered the temple destroyed and all in it killed.

now, new documents are leading researchers to believe that the Heaven and Earth society was really founded sometime in the early to mid 1700's. The Hung Mun (5 Ancestors) are fourth in line on the Heaven, Earth and Man society family tree. The actual Hung Mun (as founded by the 5 shaolin monks) is believed to have been established around 1799.

Therefore, it's my theory so far that somewhere between 1750 and 1800 the southern shaolin temple was destroyed. Once that happened, the Hung Mun wasn't exactly established right away. they moved around for a while. then once the Hung Mun was formed, 5 different lodges were established in 5 different regions of china.

[Ultimatewingchun]

It was Hitler and the Nazi's who burned down the Fujian Shaolin temple.

Oh wait, that was the Reichstag they burned down - and Hitler blamed it on the communists.

Aha! That's it. It was Chairman Mao who burned them both down.

[hskwarrior]

now you done let the cat out the bag!!!!!!

[chusauli]

hskwarrior,

My question is to ask which emperor burned it down...as we don't have any historical record, which would indicate its most likely a fable...

A mainland documentary showed there were 3 possible locations for the Fujian Shaolin, but not sure...

...so who burned it, or is it just myth?

[hskwarrior]

Given Name: Hónglì 弘曆

Post Humous name: 純帝 Chúndì
Yongkiyangga hūwangdi



Temple name: 高宗 Gāozōng

Reign name: 乾隆 Abkai wehiyehe

Reign Years :1735-1796

(died 1799)6

Name commonly known by: Qianlong Emperor

[hskwarrior]

"With the monks back in their monastery, the grand secretary of the Qing council, Wong Chun Mei, became jealous of the honours offered to them and the position bestowed on Cheng Kwan Tat. Fired by envy, Wong set about sowing doubts in the emperor's mind. If, Wong reasoned, this small band of monks had been so successful where the imperial foces had failed, surley they might just as readily turn against the emperor as defend him. He argued that the reason they had declinded their honours was because their main intention was to raise an army agaist the throne. The emperor was persuaded by the logic of this arguement and becasme so fearful thta he ordered Cheung Kin Chau, the provincial high commissioner of fujian province, and Chan Man Yiu, the magistrate of Po Ting district to destroy the Shaolin monastery and all its inhabitants. he further ordered Cheung Kwan Tat's execution.

The monastery was strategically situated on a tall hill. A surprise attack was impossible. Furthermore, the hill was reputed to be honeycombed with tunnels by which the monks would be able to escape were there monastery stormed. It was decided the best course of action was to drug the monks then kill them. However, in case the play went awry, all exits from the monastery would have to be guarded: this meant the entrances to the tunnels would have to be located. Chan Man Yiu, disguised as a peasant, wandered the nearby villages to glean information.

Chan met and befriended a coolie and learned that he had been a monk in the Shaolin monastery. On further investigation, he discovered that the coolie, Ma Yee Fuk (man ning yee) had been ranked seventh among the monks in martial ability, but had been cast out because he had made advances to Cheng Kwan tat's wife and sister, and had broked the Man Nin Po Tang, a sacred lamp presented to the monastery by the Persian government. His shaven head marking him as a disgraced monk, he had been unable to obtain fitting work, and was reduced to living as a common labourer. Embittered by his excommunication, Ma was ready for revenge and, when Chan Man Yiu admitted his identity, agreed to assist in the attack on the monastery. Chan promised him imperial honours and favours. Ma showed him the whereabouts of the tunnels and the paths leading from them. Finally, Chan requested that Ma swear his expulsion from the monastery had been caused by his refusal tp join the monks' conspiracy against the emperor. Ma conceded.

With the traitor's inside knowledge, troops under the command of High Commissioner Cheung Kin Chau were placed at all the secret exits. Others hid near the main gates, to seal them when the signal was given. All were supplied with inflammable material. Chan Man Yiu with a number of coolies carrying jars of drugged wine, openly announced that the wine was a personal gift from the emperor. He requested that the abbott and all the monks drink the emperor's wealth with it. The abbott, however, was suspicious and, testing the wine with a magic sword, found the blade changed colour. The monk, furious at the emperor's treachery, attacked Chan Man Yiu but he managed to escape. On seeing him flee, the troops advanced, igniting fires at the entrances to all the secret tunnels; they then set fire to the buildings.

One hundred ten monks perished in the fire. The remaining eighteen sought refuge in the main hall of the temple and there, before the image of Buddha, prayed for their deliverance. Their prayers were answered when a large yellow curtain hanging in the hall fell to cover them. It protected the monks from the flames but it and the smoke also smothered them so that they lost consciousness. When the Qing troops saw the walls of the building collapse, and could see no sign of life within them, they assumed their task was done and retreated.

When the 18 survivors came to, they found themselves trapped in the ruins. One of the number, however, Tsai Te Chung, knocked a hole in the monastery wall, through which they managed to make their getaway. The entire hill was alight, but they rany over the burning grass, the smoke concealing them. Slipping through the military lines, they travelled to Ting Shan, nearby Sheung Yeung City, Hupei province. There, thirteen of them died from their burns and wounds or from lack of food. They were cremated, their ashes wrapped in several bundles and retained for safekeeping by the 5 remaining survivors: Tsai Te Chung, Fong Tai Hung, Ma Chiu Hing, Wu Tak Tai, and Lee Sik Hoi."

[monji112000]

So who burned down the Fujian Shaolin?

I don't know who??

The jews?? Osama? Ben layden? Oh I know it was Bush right??

Did shaolin really exist? I know of one or two monasteries.. but honestly how old are they? this isn't the movies..