China's Shaolin Kung fu abbot takes on the UN
By Sun Shangwu (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-12 01:56

Shaolin Temple monk Shi Yongxin knows only too well strength, flexibility, sensitivity, grace and endurance are important components of kung fu.

A monk performs the Shaolin kung fu in this undated file photo. [newsphoto]

And the expert scholar of the discipline may well have to summon all the above if he is to succeed in his mission to have kung fu given UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage status.

"The reason we are strongly recommending Shaolin kung fu be included on UNESCO's list is because it represents many valuable aspects of Chinese culture," says, Shi, who is regarded by many as "a kung fu master" as a matter of course.

Shi is also a deputy attending the current National People's Congress in Beijing, and the martial art's busiest social activist, promoting the image of Shaolin kung fu, which "mainly comprises of Zen Buddhism, martial arts and medical knowledge," and dates back over 1,500 years.

To gain UNESCO status a cultural icon must be seen to offer the "practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills, that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage."

And Shi is confident that Shaolin kung fu fits the bill." It is today a magical martial art and stands apart from other forms of kung fu. It is an important part of Chinese culture. This is why it should be listed by UNESCO," said the abbot.

Shaolin kung fu is based on the belief in the supernatural powers of Buddhism.

"The martial arts practised by monks in the Shaolin Temple are their major form of expression," Shi said.

According to history, the revered Indian monk Bodhidharma spread Zen Buddhism at Shaolin Temple in the 6th century.

And today, the temple is regarded as the cradle of Zen Buddhism, which is the outcome of Chinese learning and Indian Buddhist culture.

"It embodies a thorough understanding of life interpreted by oriental wisdom," explains Shi.

Shaolin kung fu is named after the Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain in Central China's Henan Province.

Shi, 39, joined the Shaolin Temple in 1981 and became the abbot in 1999.

He says more effort from the government is needed to put Shaolin kung fu on the UNESCO list.

He has submitted a proposal to the NPC session, asking the country's top legislature to consider a special law to protect the country's "traditional knowledge" and heritage which includes ethnic and folk culture and art.

Shi has also set up several organizations to research martial arts and traditional paintings and calligraphy on the subject.

Controversially, he also established a company to protect intellectual property rights and prevent the abuse of the name Shaolin by companies seeking easy profits.

Unsurprisingly, Shi, like any dedicated kung fu follower, will not rest even if he gets UNESCO status or is handed a national culture-protection law.

He says he is willing to walk the earth to promote Shaolin kung fu.

Roll call of honour - major events in the history of Shaolin kung fu
 
386 AD Shaolin kung-fu originated in the Shaolin Temple at the Mountain Songshan at Dengfeng in Henan Province.
The temple was built in 495 AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534).

581 AD By the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), several Shaolin monks helped Li Shimin become the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, allowing the Shaolin Temple to organize an army of monk soldiers.

1368 During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Shaolin military monks took part in battles against Japanese invaders in southern China and accomplished many military victories and exploits.

1982 After decades of quiet existence by dedicated followers, the 1982 kung-fu movie "Shaolin Temple" starring Jet Li, became so popular across the nation, the temple and its martial art instantly became one of Chinese cultural icons both at home and abroad.

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