Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in "The Centre of Heaven and Earth"

Now, the historic Chinese discipline of Shaolin kung fu has welcomed its first Scottish disciple, after a painter and decorator from a Highland town was welcomed into its tight-knit clan.

Paul Nicol, from Nairn, has been made a disciple of the famous Shaolin Temple, the 5th-century monastery which has become a shrine for aficionados of kung fu the world over.

Everybody is kung fu fighting!

Ashwin Khan; Pune Mirror; May 8 2012

An orphanage in Malavli near Lonavla will be where the country’s first Shaolin Temple will come up, and two Shaolin Masters from the 5th-century Shaolin Monastery in China are here to get things going

It’s a long, tiring journey, even as the crow flies, from the Shaolin Monastery in China’s Henan province to the hills of Malavli in Lonavla, but Shaolin grandmaster Shi Heng Jun could well have been back home in the Songshan mountains as he talks about the Death Touch.

“The Death Touch technique is extremely dangerous, and is only taught to disciples who have won the trust of their masters,” Heng Jun says in Chinese, as a translator helps out.

May 24 2011 - Kung fu under attack; Tania Branigan; Guardian

China: The Shaolin Temple. "World Heritage Site", But Overrun By Tourists

Asia News; August 3 2010

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Shaolin Temple, an ancient Zen Buddhist monastery and cradle of martial art kung fu, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The decision was taken during the 34th meeting of the special committee of UNESCO in Brasilia, on 1 August, which stated that the historic building is of great artistic beauty and is an important historical and cultural centre.

The monastery on Mount Songshan at Dengfeng in central Henan province, is composed of 11 main buildings, including the Shaolin Temple itself the Observatory, Songyang Academy, Taishi Towers and Zhongyue Temple. It has stood for over two thousand years and its structures show the successive styles of ancient China. Moreover it is a testament to the history of the old Chinese religion, but also philosophy, customs and scientific development of the country.

Shaolin temple's abbot Shi Yongxin said the UNESCO recognition was a privilege. "For the monks, living in a world-recognised heritage site is a wonderful experience, but at the same time, our responsibility to protect the temple becomes even graver," he said. "I'm also looking forward to the addition of Shaolin kung fu into UNESCO's intangible heritage list," Shi added.