Inside Shaolin Monastery, the home of kung fu and Zen Buddhism, where thousands of boys as young as 5 train to be martial arts masters

Boys from Shaolin Kung Fu Training Base practice Kung Fu movements at the Shaolin Temple on the Songshan Mountain on October 30, 2009 in Dengfeng of Henan Province, China.

  • The Shaolin Temple in central China was built in the Fifth Century, and is the original home of Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism.
  • It’s nearly been destroyed many times by Chinese warlords, and more recently Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
  • It’s a mecca for young boys (and some girls) who dream of escaping poverty, becoming warrior monks, or film stars.
  • Since the boom of Hollywood martial arts films and an ambitious abbot started monetizing the temple and its cultural capital, Shaolin has experienced a renaissance.
  • But now it’s greatest threat might be its own commercialization.
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Source : BusinessInsider.Com

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