Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 39

Thread: Shanghai 2010 World Expo & Shaolin Haibao

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    And the Al Jazeera coverage

    This popped to the top of my newsfeed, probably because it mentions Jackie prominently.
    Shanghai kicks off World Expo

    Countries from all across the globe will have a presence in the 2010 World Fair in Shanghai

    The multi-billion-dollar 2010 World Expo has officially opened in Shanghai, China's commercial capital, in what the country hopes will highlight its rising global influence.

    More than 180 countries and 57 international organisations are expected to showcase their culture in the six-month long event themed around sustainable development.

    Many are doing in so in pavilions with radical architecture.

    Friday's opening ceremony was held amid tight security, featured a song by Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan, Austrian waltz music, a performance by pianist Lang Lang and a rendition of Puccini's Nessun Dorma by Italian pop tenor Andrea Bocelli.

    A barrage of fireworks along the Huangpu River and a light show followed.

    Relocation

    World leaders, including Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, attended the opening ceremony.

    The Chinese government spent eight years and more than $50 billion preparing for Expo Shanghai 2010, the country's first world's fair, which aims to showcase the latest technology and inventions through innovative or radical national "pavilions".

    The main site has been designed to be environmentally friendly with the creation of the country's largest solar plant and the use of zero-emission vehicles. However, most of the pavilions will be demolished after October 31, when the Expo ends.

    The government also had to relocate thousands of people for the Expo, some forcefully, according to rights groups.

    "The Shanghai Expo authorities should be mindful that many remember the 2008 Beijing Olympics as much for the arrests and detention of peaceful protesters and journalists as for the achievements of the athletes," Sophie Richardson, the Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said.

    Al Jazeera's Divya Gopalan, reporting from Shanghai, said despite the billions of dollars that had gone into preparing for the Expo, more than what was spent for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there is more to the event than meets the eye.

    "This event is not only about showcasing China's economic strength, it's also about showing the country's strength on the diplomatic front," she said.

    "Leaders of countries are here to build ties with China with the view to improving their monetary status and their diplomatic relations.

    "If a country chose to not come to this event, it would be regarded as a snub towards China. As a result we have seen 189 countries, ranging from the US and Germany to North Korea and financially troubled Iceland and Greece, come to Shanghai, and many of them have spent lots of money on pavilions to show their support to China."

    Tight security

    The government also launched the biggest security operation in China since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in preparation for the event.

    As a result, not all Shanghai residents are celebrating the event, which brings additional traffic restrictions and security checks across the city.

    "The traffic restrictions are not convenient for Shanghai residents but in the future, it will bring Shanghai many business opportunities," Xu Qing, a local resident, said.
    in depth

    An additional 8,000 police officers have been brought in to help Shanghai’s 46,000-strong police force to patrol the city, according to Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency.

    An estimated 70 million people, mainly Chinese, are expected to tour the giant exhibition site, as Shanghai hopes to recreate the glamour of an event that was traditionally seen as one of the most prestigious international events before the rise of the Olympics.

    Shanghai allocated $45 billion to upgrade the city's infrastructure, creating the world's longest metro system, two new airport terminals and a $700 million promenade on the historic Bund as well as new roads, parks and bridges.

    "They have certain expectations of the international audience," Bo Zhiyue, a Chinese politics expert at the National University of Singapore's East Asian Institute, said.

    "They are trying to boost their international image by trying to doing what they think will meet the expectations of foreigners."

    The first world fair was held in London's Hyde Park in 1851, in the landmark Crystal Palace which was later destroyed in a fire.

    The 1889 Paris Expo saw the creation of another famous landmark as French structural engineer Gustave Eiffel presented his Eiffel Tower as a tribute to
    developments in science and engineering.

    For China's 1.3 billion people, powering an economy likely to soon overtake Japan as the world's second-largest, the outcome of the Expo will be cast as another display of the Communist leadership's power and prestige.

    factbox: SHANGHAI world expo

    Expo's theme is "Better city, Better life"
    70 million visitors expected, mostly Chinese, just five per cent will be foreigners
    Will showcase the latest green technology from 189 countries and 57 organisations
    20,000 cultural performances
    First Expo in a developing country
    Site spans 5.3 sq km across both sides of Huangpu River, twice the size of Monaco
    China says it has spent $4.2bn - others say true cost is closer to $58bn
    Standard day ticket costs $23 (160 yuan)
    Shanghai allocated $45bn to upgrade city's infrastructure
    City has adopted a blue shaped mascot called 'Haibao', meaning treasure of the sea
    Runs from April 30 - October 31
    Source: Reuters
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Gumbygate!

    First the theme song scandal and now this?

    Has Gumby Been Robbed in Shangai?
    Updated: 7 minutes ago
    Jonathan Adams Contributor
    AOL News

    (April 30) -- The Shanghai Expo, the biggest world's fair ever, opened today amidst fireworks and lavish performances from Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. But as the event's five-month run begins, at least one nagging question remains unanswered: Is the ubiquitous symbol of the extravaganza a straight rip-off of Gumby?

    The issue came up amidst uproar at a Shanghai news conference April 23, when a National Public Radio reporter produced pictures that highlighted similarities between the beloved, bendable green American character and the Shanghai Expo's mascot, Haibao.

    According to NPR, Expo spokesman Xu Wei responded, "Haibao was unveiled a long time ago. If anyone thinks that their copyright has been violated, that person would already have used legal means to address this by now."

    Haibao's creator, Wu Yongjian, said he never set eyes on Gumby before making his character and called any accusations of plagiarism an insult.
    In comments to United Daily News, Haibao's Taiwanese creator Wu Yongjian strongly denied plagiarism, saying he had not seen the Gumby character before conceiving Haibao. He said the accusations were a "huge insult to his integrity" and reputation, and that he would not rule out legal action against anyone making reckless claims.

    Gumbygate followed similar charges in the Japanese media that a tune used as an "official" song for the Shanghai Expo was a knock-off of a Japanese pop song, and that the Expo's China Pavilion borrows concepts from a Japanese architect.

    Japan's NTV News even tracked down Joe Clokey, the son of Gumby's late creator Art Clokey. "It looks like they were influenced by Gumby, because that's Gumby's eyes, Gumby's shape, and the cowlick, [it's] a little bit like Gumby's hair," the junior Clokey said.

    "When people want to use Gumby's shape ... they should just contact us. Gumby could be in China," he said, before joking, "Looks like he already is!"

    Chinese blogger Han Han had other concerns. "Haibao makes my head hurt," wrote Han Han, as translated by China Smack. "When everyone saw that he was flat, it raised a big problem for those who were trying to make three-dimensional Haibaos: what should his back look like? Does he have a tail? Does he have a butt? Does he have a butt crack?

    "No one knew, so when we saw statues of Haibao in the city, the front sides were all the same, but some Haibaos had backs without cracks, and others had cracks. But recently, because the Haibaos without butt cracks were more numerous, the butt crack has been announced officially as having left China."

    Herewith, a brief look at how the two cow-licked humanoids stack up:
    Gumby, left, and Haibao
    Click the link for this last part - it's funny
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    east TX
    Posts
    405

    2nd world???

    ""As the first registered World Expo hosted by a developing country, the Shanghai Expo will be an opportunity for China and also for the world," Hu added,"

    I didn't think China thought of themselves as a developing country????
    .... Skip

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    What's hot in Shanghai

    433,000 people @ 86 degrees and 82 people with heat stroke isn't too bad. At a concert with 1/10th the attendees, we'd a higher percentage than 9 people.
    Shanghai Expo Gets 433,000 Visitors on First Weekend (Update1)
    May 03, 2010, 5:56 AM EDT

    May 3 (Bloomberg) -- More than 433,000 people visited Shanghai’s $44 billion World Expo on its first weekend, enduring temperatures as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit as they stood in queues that were as long as three hours for some exhibits.

    Almost 128,000 people streamed into the 5.3 square kilometers (2 square-mile) Expo park today as of 5:00 p.m. local time, according to organizers. More than 225,000 visitors toured the exhibits yesterday, 17,900 more than the 207,700 there on May 1, the first day the event was open to the public.

    “We came yesterday and today and all we did was wait in queues,” said Yang Jun, who came with five family members from neighboring Jiangsu province. “I’d have rather watched it on TV. It’s too hot out here.”

    Police were deployed to oversee longer queues at some of the pavilions and water mist was sprayed over walkways and benches to help cool visitors after doctors at the site treated 82 people yesterday for heat stroke and other ailments. Shanghai, China’s richest city, estimates 70 million people will visit the six-month long expo, more than 10-times the number who traveled to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    Temperatures rose to as high as 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) today, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Thunderstorms are forecast to hit the city tomorrow evening and the morning of May 5, with temperatures as high as 28 Degrees Celsius, according to the weather bureau.

    More Shade

    Organizers today opened special lines at gates into the park for visitors more than 70-years old and said they’re installing more shelters for shade, providing more water to visitors and adding doctors. Lines for more popular exhibits such as the Australia and U.K. pavilions continued to be as long as 30 minutes to 40 minutes, China Central Television reported.

    Shanghai’s Dragon TV, a unit of government-owned Shanghai Media Group, called on visitors during its broadcast to obey rules set out by expo organizers as it showed footage of people cutting in line, trash littering the grounds and visitors circumventing a barrier to pick flowers off a tree on display.

    “The expo is great,” said 29-year old Liu Ting, who traveled to Shanghai from northern China’s Inner Mongolia province. “It’s crowded but we were expecting that,” she said after visiting the Australian pavilion.

    China Pavilion

    Passes for the red China pavilion named “The Crown of the East” were gone before 9 a.m. local time on the Expo’s opening day. Pavilion officials yesterday handed out 50,000 of the free passes, China News Service reported. Arguments broke out between police and visitors barred from the China pavilion because they failed to obtain passes, Shanghai’s Dragon TV reported.

    Lin Youmian, the 28-year old owner of a fashion accessories business in Fujian province, was among visitors who failed to get passes for the China pavilion today. Instead, she sat at the Turkish pavilion eating Iskender kebab, a traditional dish of grilled lamb and beef served over bread, which she described as “acceptable.”

    “What I wanted to visit was the Chinese pavilion but we were too late,” Lin said.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao officially opened the expo on April 30 at an evening ceremony marked by fireworks, a laser show and performances by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and martial-arts film star Jackie Chan. Visiting leaders including French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso watched the display from the expo site along the shores of the Huangpu river.

    Five-Day Holiday

    To ensure smooth operations for the fair, Shanghai has deployed armed police to patrol the Expo park, restricted sales of knives and given local residents a five-day holiday through May 4, during which they’ve been asked to stay at home as much as possible.

    Exhibits at the Shanghai expo include a giant mechanical baby at the Spanish pavilion, ostrich meat wraps at the Africa hall, Italian artisans making shoes by hand and beer served outside the German pavilion.

    World expos began with the 1851 World’s Fair in London’s Crystal Palace that showcased the wealth and technological prowess of Europe’s industrialized nations.

    They’ve led to the construction of iconic structures, including the Eiffel Tower and Seattle’s Space Needle. The events are now divided into so-called Universal Expos, such as the one in Shanghai, and smaller, more specialized exhibitions.

    “I went to the expo in Hanover and this one here is so much nicer,” said Rufus Brevett, 19, a student from the U.K. “It’s massive.” Hanover, Germany hosted the 2000 expo.

    --With assistance from Chua Kong Ho, Allen WanFan, Wenxin, Yang Huiwen and Luo Jun in Shanghai. Editors: John Liu, Gregory Turk
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    $58 billion!

    Point 3 is very interesting.
    May 11, 2010
    10 Facts About the Shanghai World Expo 2010
    by Andrew Hickey

    The largest World's Expo ever is currently underway in Shanghai, China, with an estimated 70 million people expected to visit and celebrate the festivities. Not since the 2008 Summer Olympics has China had such a bright spotlight placed upon them. Here are 10 facts about this year's epic global event:

    1. Shanghai World Expo is being held between May 1, 2010 and October 31, 2010.

    2. Environmentalists should be happy to hear that this is the first "green" Expo. China has pulled out all the stops to ensure they are being eco-friendly with such measures as building the country's largest solar plant for the event and using zero emission vehicles for guests to get around town during their stay.

    3. Although a whopping 70 million people plan to attend the Expo, only 5 million of them will be foreigners.

    4. Shanghai has tightened security with more police on the streets and bag checks at every train station.

    5. Shanghai spent a reported $45 billion on giving the city a facelift which includes two new airport terminals, the world's biggest metro system, new roads, parks, bridges and more.

    6. Just how big is Shanghai's World Expo? To compare it with previous hosts, this year's event is 20 times larger than 2008's Expo held in Spain. The site spans an amazing 2 square miles.

    7. Standing 207 feet tall, the China Pavilion was created to mimic an ancient crown. It was painted red like Beijing's imperial palace. The pavilion overlooks the eastern side of the Expo.

    8. China spent an estimated $4.2 billion on the World Expo, which is double what the country put into hosting the Olympics. The price tag makes it easily the most expensive world's fair ever. Local media believes China is low balling the numbers with some reporting it cost about $58 billion!

    9. The Shanghai World Expo actually has its own theme song, which is called "City" and performed by actor Jackie Chan.

    10. The official mascot for the Expo is Haibao (pictured above), which translates to "jewel of the sea" and is shaped like the Chinese character for the word "human."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #21

    Shaolin Kung fu at the World Expo

    People's Daily Online

    Shaolin Kung fu is a gem of the Chinese nation that reveals the great and profound Chinese tradition. That's why it is absolutely essential for Shaolin Kung fu to be displayed at the World Expo.

    Masters of the Shaolin Temple came to the exposition to give a live performance of Shaolin Kung fu for the visitors. The Kung fu of broadsword, fist and stick showed the quintessence of Chinese Kung fu culture, which has constantly received the praise of the visitors.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    A teaser

    Robot aliens? Cool.
    The Shanghai Expo by Night
    Thursday June 3, 2010

    So reports from last weekend put the daily visit total on Saturday, May 30th at half a million people. Lines at some pavilions were reported to be up to 8 hours long (although why anyone would wait over 1 hour is beyond me). But we wanted to get to Expo with the kids while Dad was still visiting so we decided to wait and go in the evening on a weekday. This is definitely the time to visit.

    We bought evening tickets (90rmb per person, kids under 1.2m free) at the gate and arrived at the Expo grounds around 6pm. There were no lines for tickets and the entrance area was nearly empty. As we ascended from the subway on the Puxi side (Lupu Bridge stop on the Expo line), the lights on the pavilions were just turning on and it was certainly worth seeing as it began to get dark. My five-year-old was impressed by the light and music displays. On the outside of the Japanese Industry Pavilion three robotic aliens climb up and down all day and night. The Oil and the Shanghai Corporate Pavilions were distinctly impressive with light displays. In fact, we found ourselves outside the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion when it began to perform. The building literally has a sound and light performance. Covered in what look like Christmas tree strings of lights, the lights change to music blaring out of the "Dream Cube". It was mesmerizing. If my son hadn't been dragging us away to see the Railway Pavilion, Dad and I would probably still be outside watching.

    We caught the Shaolin Warrior Kung Fu performance. It wasn't quite as dazzling as seeing it at Shaolin Temple, but my son enjoyed it and even participated in the call to audience members to go on stage and learn some moves. We also enjoyed the evening parade. We didn't go into many pavilions - though we could have. Lines were very short looking but when you go with kids, there's little patience for even the shortest of lines. The culinary highlight of the evening was the soft-serve ice cream outside the Japanese Industry Pavilion. I would suggest the chocolate.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Samsara - The Shaolin Legacy

    I love the title of this show.
    Shaolin's abbot more than a CEO
    Fri, Jun 18, 2010

    By Cheong Poh Kwan

    The principal abbot of the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple is more than just a CEO, said veteran Hong Kong director Clifton Ko.

    In the eyes of Ko, the abbot Shi Yongxin, 45, is certainly a very smart and sharp decision-maker for an organisation, but he cares about more than just dollars and cents.

    For instance, although the abbot has received flak for turning the venerable temple's warrior monks into performing troupes, Ko said he ought to be credited for keeping the Shaolin image and the ideals of Zen Buddhism alive through these performances.

    Ko, 52, who is famous for directing Hong Kong comedies like the Happy Ghost Series and All's Well End's Well, has been working with the abbot on a kungfu musical which celebrates the Shaolin culture since last year.

    He said the abbot would be present to offer his insights during the rehearsals, and what he was often most concerned about was whether the core values of Buddhism were well-represented in the musical.

    Ko is in town to promote the gungfu musical, Samsara - The Shaolin Legacy, with the Shaolin's performing troupe.

    The musical, which promises a dazzling display of Shaolin kungfu and a well-meaning storyline, debuted in Hong Kong last November. It will be staged at the Singapore Expo on 19 June 2010.

    Catch the preview on RazorTV.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Razor TV vids

    Part one isn't playing for me.

    Unremarkable, except the rep speaks Cantonese and the ads cover the subtitles. "kung fu is not just a show" (it's a musical )
    18 June, 2010
    6-yr-old monk wants to be Jet Li (Samsara-The Shaolin Legacy Pt 2)
    [03:16]

    Six-year-old Song Jian is a warrior monk trained in a Shaolin Temple, and he plays the protagonist in kungfu musical Samsara, a Shaolin Temple’s production which debuted in Hong Kong last November. The child monk says he’d like to be a kungfu star!
    Same as always
    18 June, 2010
    Shaolin kungfu display (Samsara-The Shaolin Legacy Pt 3)
    [04:05]

    From drunken fist to double whips, Shaolin warrior monks show you what they have been training hard for. Also, catch one of them folding his limbs and bending his joints into the most humanly impossible positions.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Not going at all now

    Word is that the lines are atrocious and unbearable.
    Shanghai World Expo presents 6,500 free performances over two months
    17:00, June 30, 2010

    As of June 25, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai already presented a total of 6,500 performances, or 116 performances per day on average, since the opening of the Expo Park, with 348 performance programs being repeatedly staged, according to a report by Wen Hui Daily.

    Tourists who have viewed the performances number about 8.5 million and one of every two tourists to the World Expo has watched such a performance. Over the past two months, the World Expo-related cultural performances have been staged in a generally smooth and orderly manner.

    They have highlighted the World Expo theme, enriched the happy atmosphere and helped to disperse tourist flows at the Expo Park.

    There were average 116 performances per day in May and June at the Expo Park. The performing programs are large in number and high in performance frequency, implying the future trend for the World Expo – cultural performance activities will come to be the extension of the exhibition content.

    During the two months, 39 countries from five continents, six international organizations and 14 cities conducted national pavilion days and honor day activities and special activities, and 11 Chinese provinces and municipalities each held week-long activities. Carefully selected by the organizers, all the performances highlight the most unique cultural features of every country and region, from which tourists have experienced the charm of diversified culture.

    Three original performance programs will be staged in July and August. The shadow puppetry "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" will be staged at the Dock Theater between July 1 and Oct. 8. The warriors from the Shaolin Temple will give a Kung Fu performance, tailor-made for the World Expo, at the Entertainment Hall between July 1 and August 31. Another Kung Fu show "Wudang: Taiji and Dao" will be presented just at the Entertainment Square in front of the Entertainment Hall to compete with that of the Shaolin Temple.

    As of June 25, exhibitors submitted 195 performance applications to the World Expo organizers, including much-watched famous performances to be performed by renowned performing groups. Scotland’s bagpipe is known as the "cultural business card" of Scotland and a bagpipe performance will be staged in the European Square in mid-July.

    India's song and dance drama "Ticket to Bollywood" will be staged at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center in mid-July. The drama, strongly recommended by Indian government departments, showcases the 40-year development course of Bollywood. Furthermore, performances will be given by a Jamaican Reggae band, a drum performance group from Burundi, Italy's Teatro Regio Totino and other performing groups and all represent the highest artistic level of each country.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    The shami at Shanghai

    This kid is kungfu fighting
    Print E-mail China Daily, July 2, 2010

    This kid is kungfu fighting

    One of the most popular attractions in Henan Province is the Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist temple famous for kungfu fighting monks. Now, visitors can catch a glimpse of the martial arts practitioners the temple is renowned for at the Expo 2010 Shanghai.

    The Henan Pavilion promotes its culture to the world by bringing kungfu masters to perform in the Expo Garden. The Shaolin Temple kungfu show will continue until the end of the Expo.

    Twelve-year-old Zheng Haohao, or Shi Yanhao, the name he goes by at the Shaolin Temple, is one of those performers. The young boy is a specialist in kungfu and enjoys sharing his talent with audiences all over the world. He performs four times a day. His passion and interest in learning kungfu convinced his parents to send him to the Shaolin Temple. Haohao left his home in Fuyang, Anhui province, three years ago at the age of nine. Devoting his life to the martial arts and the temple, he left behind his parents, a 14-year-old sister and a three-year-old brother. He only gets to go back to his family for 15 days a year during the Spring Festival.

    Although he is away from home, he enjoys his life at the temple. And those who live at the temple enjoy a very healthy lifestyle.

    He begins his day at 6 am with a run in the fresh mountain air. He said that this part of the day is very important in order to maintain his spirit.

    After breakfast at 8 am, young monks like Haohao will spend time before noon taking school lessons in subjects such as maths and science.

    "Basic courses are taught," said Shi Yanfeng, a 27-year-old senior monk. "They're not so hard. After all, here it is the kungfu that is essential."

    After lunch, the afternoon is spent practicing kungfu. Haohao said he has learned more the three major kungfu styles taught at the temple.

    Food at the Shaolin Temple is basic. Monks are served vegetarian dishes. Haohao is okay with a life without meat and, in fact, says he loves the food in the temple, especially the eggplant.

    While other children his age have the Internet, TV and comic books, Haohao lives in a world focused on nature and peace. Instead of hanging out with friends in the street, he spends his time practicing kungfu with other young monks.

    "We usually compare kungfu moves in our spare time," he said.

    "They always like to run in the mountain," said Shi, the senior monk. "We quite enjoy this lifestyle. It's pure and simple."

    This is not the first time that Haohao has left the temple to give performances. He said that he has visited New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom in past three years. That's why he says he is never nervous performing in front of people.

    "I like to perform in front of an audience. They like my performances, and I feel very happy when performing."
    That's true, the local eggplant is delicious. I used to hate it, but after eating so much of it at Shaolin, I've learned to love it.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Hmm, what did Jet Li write?

    I posted a new thread on Shaolin Zai Wo Xin Zhong (Shaolin Temple in My Heart) by Abbot Shi Yongxin two days ago.
    Shanghai Book Fair 2010 opens
    China Daily, August 11, 2010

    Shanghai Book Fair 2010 starts on today at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The annual exhibition features the theme "Love reading, love life - hand in hand with the Expo".

    Nearly 500 Chinese publishers will bring some 150,000 books to the event, among which at least 100 will be new books.

    Actors Jet Li and Zhou Libo, as well as Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple will attend along with celebrity writers like Mo Yan, Wang Anyi and Liu Xinwu, who will give lectures or sign their books.

    Besides showcasing a host of Expo-themed books, the book fair will also hold 20 Expo-related activities alongside its 400 cultural activities.

    Visitors to Shanghai, with their Expo tickets, can enjoy all three evening book exhibitions for free, in addition to a discount of 20 percent on all books.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Didn't know where to post this...

    Maybe this will become my Shanghai news repository thread...
    More parents in Shanghai send kids for kungfu classes
    By Channel NewsAsia's China Correspondent Glenda Chong | Posted: 18 August 2010 0002 hrs

    SHANGHAI : Summer holidays are here.

    But instead of enrichment classes at summer school, a number of children in Shanghai are picking up another skill.

    Rather than wield electronic games, they are now throwing real punches.

    And kungfu classes have seen an increase in enrolment this year.

    "Lately parents have been sending their children to learn martial arts because they want their kids to grow stronger and have more confidence. The kindergarten stabbing cases is another reason. Teaching kids kungfu can increase their awareness of self-defence," said head coach Liang Sheng Wen.

    A series of attacks on schoolchildren left more than 20 dead earlier this year.

    Concerned parents want to make sure their children know what to do.

    So the focus of the kungfu classes is to teach kids how react to threats and evade potential attackers.

    "There are several reasons for getting him to learn martial arts. First of all, it can strengthen his body and increase his awareness of self-defence," said one grandparent.

    But for the little ones, it's just another fun activity.

    "Firstly, after learning Taekwondo I can protect myself. Secondly, it can also strengthen my will power. Thirdly, I can make more friends," said a young Chinese girl who is enrolled in a kungfu class.

    The kungfu lessons cost about US$300 for 50 sessions.

    Parents said this is a small price to pay for peace of mind. And for the kids, the training will help them stay safe. - CNA /ls
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Back to the Expo

    This is connected to a post I just made on the Bruce Lee Museums thread.
    Kung Fu Pavilion shows its chops
    * Source: Global Times
    * [17:16 August 18 2010]
    By Duan Wuning

    Foshan marked the opening of its China Kung Fu Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai yesterday, featuring kung fu elements and ceramic displays.

    Situated in the Pavilion of Future in the Urban Best Practices Area, the pavilion will be open until August 23. It covers an area of 1,200 square meters and features 50 ceramic statues of Bruce Lee.

    The Guangdong city of Foshan is known to the world as the hometown of the late martial artists Bruce Lee and Ip Man, as well as for its major industry of ceramics.

    "We want to make use of international platforms such as the Expo and the Asian Games to promote martial arts to the world, which we hope can one day be an Olympic event," said Qiu Dailun, president of pavilion co-organizer 1506 Creative City.

    Organizers of the pavilion will select a kung fu advocate through a talent competition, in which they will invite 1,506 visitors to the pavilion to strike a pose that they think best encapsulates kung fu. Pictures of the entrants will be posted on the China Kung Fu Wall inside the pavilion. Awards of up to 4,518 yuan ($664) will be given for the best poses.

    They added that they are considering submitting the wall for a Guinness World Record which, at 20 meters long, four meters tall and carrying 1,506 pictures, they claim will be the largest kung fu display in the world.

    Also on show are examples of the global use of Foshan ceramics.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Kung Fu God of China

    China seeks ultimate image representative of Chinese Kung Fu
    13:25, August 19, 2010

    Flocks of tourists gathered around 110 red Chinese Kung Fu sculptures of Bruce Lee on display at the World Expo on Aug. 17. On the same day, the week-long Foshan Case Pavilion opened, seeking the ultimate image representative of Chinese Kung Fu all over the world.

    The Foshan Case Pavilion, the theme of which was "Chinese Kung Fu," swept the Expo Park with a red whirlwind and fascinated tourists. Each of the 50 sculptures in the pavilion has a different item placed on one foot. The Bruce Lee sculpture with a TV screen on one foot is as high as 5 meters and attracted most of the attention.

    The organizer of the Foshan Case Pavilion said that 50 of the 110 statues that have been moved all the way to the Expo are on display at the Foshan Case Pavilion, and the rest are in the City Square, the Expo Center and other areas.

    It was disclosed that the Foshan Case Pavilion will give one statue to Shanghai as a gift after the Expo ends, and the organizer hopes that the statue can be put in front of the China Pavilion or on the Expo Meteorological Tower at the Pavilion of the Future.

    In addition, the Foshan Case Pavilion has designated a special area for taking Kung Fu photos and started looking worldwide for image representatives for Chinese Kung Fu. The organizer will invite 1,500 domestic and foreign Expo visitors from Aug. 17 to Aug. 23 to pose for photographs.

    After the tourists sign an agreement that grants the organizer rights to display their portraits, they can stand in poses that they think can best represent Chinese Kung Fu before the statues. Their photos will be pasted on the Chinese Kung Fu Display Wall after being developed and printed.

    In addition to immediately seeing their photos, visitors taking photos with the sculptures will also receive a commemorative stamp with the engraving "Chinese Kung Fu" and a commemorative T-shirt.

    According to sources, this activity will also be held in many cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou as well as overseas cities. Ten types of Chinese Kung Fu images, including the most powerful image, the most creative image, the most professional image, the most intelligent image, the most adorable image, the most intelligent image, the most beautiful image, the gentlest image, the most confident image, the most heroic image and the most martial image, will be selected and be rebuilt and integrated into one ultimate image that is able to represent Chinese Kung Fu the most.

    The ultimate figure will be built as a 35-meter-high ceramic sculpture baked in the Foshan Nanfeng Ancient Kiln and titled "Kung Fu God of China."

    In addition, sponsors will create a dedicated Web site for Chinese Kung Fu after collecting 1,500 Chinese Kung Fu photos and allow netizens around the world to select the most representative photo of Chinese Kung Fu through the Internet. The winners will be rewarded a total of 150,600 yuan and the photo of the grand prize winner may also become the prototype of the "Kung Fu God of China."
    Kung Fu God of the whole world is more like it. I've always felt Bruce was more San Franciscan than Chinese.


    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •