Page 49 - sample pack

The Shaolin Temple, or Shaolin Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery in Song Shan near Zhengzhao City, Henan Province, in the east of China. It was founded in the 5th century CE, and is famous for its monks who practise martial arts, especially Shaolin kung fu.

Kung fu is a type of martial art. Martial arts are practised all over China and can be divided into different ‘groups’ or ‘schools’. Shaolin kung fu is regarded as the frst institutionalised martial art in China. This means that it comes from a particular place (the monastery), and that it is the frst type of kung fu to come from a monastery (other types of kung fu came from regions or areas, such as a particular province).

The oldest evidence of Shaolin kung fu is from 610 CE, when the Shaolin monks protected the monastery from robbers. After that, it wasn’t until the 16th century that Shaolin was connected with kung fu. In the 16th century a lot of evidence of the monks practising kung fu appeared, such as martial arts manuals, military encyclopedias and poetry.

The monastery is still famous for its connection with martial arts as its leader, The Abbot of Shaolin, Shi Yong Xin, believes it is important for the world to know about the monastery and its history. The monks practise their martial arts every day and are some of the most skilled kung fu experts in the world. A number of them have performed a troupe which travels around the world showing off their skill, coordination and balance when performing.

The monks are now divided into two groups – those who are members of the troupe and those who follow the more traditional route of following a life of kung fu inside the temple.

It is very important to remember that the monks, who are Buddhist, follow one of the most peaceful religions in the world and do not promote the use of kung fu for violence. In Buddhism, violence is an absolute last resort. Kung fu is used for self-discipline and control, and self-defence.

Kung fu and martial arts are often represented in Hollywood flms as violent and dangerous, when in fact they are designed for self-control and discipline, as well as for self-defence. See what you can fnd out about the different types of kung fu practised in China and what the differences are between them.

The monks of Shaolin, just as other Buddhist monks, respect nature and are environmentally aware. Choose a picture to draw that represents nature and make your own nature frame to put it in.

1) A square piece of card

2) A square piece of paper to draw your picture on 3) Some twigs or bamboo 4) String 5) Glue

6) Crayons or colouring pencils

2) Take a handful of small twigs, making sure that they are a little bit longer than your picture

3) Divide the twigs into four sets, making sure there are the same number of twigs in each group

4) Place the twigs on top of the card and measure it so that it frames the size of the card

5) Take your string and begin to cross it on each corner so you attach the twigs to each other

6) Glue your picture to your card, and wait for it to dry

8) When it is dry, take another piece of string and attach it to the back of your nature frame so that you can hang it up