Photo: Li Hao/GT

A Shaolin kung fu festival opened in the Shaolin Temple in Central China’s Henan Province on Saturday, gathering over a hundred of participants to compete for the global kung fu star title, while exchanging cultures and making friends.

Over this weekend, 144 martial art masters from 47 countries and regions will compete in the finals of the 2024 Shaolin Games, contending for the title of “2024 World Shaolin Kung Fu Star.”

The games in the following days will include ranking matches, advancement matches, and the final round, with competition events including Shaolin boxing techniques and Shaolin weaponry, the Global Times learned from the temple.

“The Shaolin Games finals are not about competition of winning or losing, nor a contest of victory or defeat, but moments of life awakening, team development, and the inheritance and enrichment of the Shaolin spirit,” said the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin, in a statement, expressing his hope that the event will “foster cross-cultural exchanges, enhance mutual appreciation of civilizations, and contribute to the well-being, health, and peace of humanity.”

Selay Marius Kouassi, a participant from Côte d’Ivoire who is also leading the Team Africa over this year’s Games, told the Global Times that, “I’m very happy to be part of the global community – not just a local, regional, or national community, but a global one. Shaolin has united us as one big family all over the world. I especially love the Chinese wisdom that says ‘Tian Xia Yi Jia’ – the concept that the whole world is one family. This is truly who we are, and it is because of Shaolin kung fu.”

In 2023, the Shaolin Temple completed the continental kung fu competitions across six continents in one year. Tens of thousands of Shaolin kung fu practitioners of different races, colors, and ages participated, with competitors from 101 countries gathering in Zambia, Singapore, Argentina, the US, Italy, and Australia to compete.

During the Shaolin Games finals, various events will also be held at the Shaolin Temple, including overseas Shaolin kung fu performances and a conference on the transmission and innovation of Shaolin kung fu’s intangible cultural heritage, providing visitors with opportunities to experience and study Shaolin culture.

The Shaolin Temple, located on Songshan Mountain of Dengfeng city, Henan, is one of the world’s most famous Buddhist temples. It was first established in 495 AD by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534) to accommodate the Indian monk Batuo.

The Shaolin Temple is now renowned for its long history, profound cultural heritage, unique Buddhist culture, and martial art traditions. It is not only a treasure of Chinese Buddhist culture but also an important part of the world’s cultural heritage.

According to incomplete statistics, there are about 100 million different Shaolin disciples, Shaolin culture enthusiasts, and practitioners of Shaolin kung fu worldwide, and among which approximately 60 million are located overseas, as reported by the China News Service.