Chinese Culture
“A genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.” – Mao Zedong
China has a history and culture for more than 5000 years. It is a part of the Ancient Civilizations alongside Mesopotamia, India and Egypt.
The aspects of Chinese Culture are: Martial Arts (Kung Fu), Philosophy, Religion, Architecture, Ceramics, Music, Literature, Visual Arts and Cuisine. It also includes customs, traditions and language. The Traditional Mandarin it one of the worlds’ ancient languages and is very unique.
We integrate Chinese Culture into our Shaolin Warrior Program
A Brief History
CHINA IS THE BIRTH PLACE OF FOUR GREAT INVENTIONS:
- Paper Making (105 A.D.)
- Printing (960-1279 A.D.)
- Gunpowder (1000 A.D.)
- Compass (1100 A.D.)
Apart of the inventions above, there are many other inventions attributed to Chinese Nation: alcohol, mechanical clock, tea production, silk, umbrella, acupuncture, iron smelting, porcelain, earthquake detector, rocket, bronze, the kite, the seed drill, row crop farming, toothbrush and paper money.
The Silk Road, the ancient route which made the connection between China and the west, played a big role in the formation of the Chinese Culture. Buddhism came to China via the Silk Route.
Students from around the world travel on yearly basis to China to learn about these amazing traditions, customs and its culture.
Shaolin Temple in Yunnan Province in one of the best places to learn about Martial Arts, Philosophy and Buddhism, Music, Visual Arts, Cuisine, Language, Tea Culture and so many more.
BUDDHISM CULTURE
The best place to learn about Buddhism is Shaolin Temple. The best people to learn about Buddhism are the monks of the Shaolin Temple. In the Temple students take part on daily basis to the Buddhist Ceremonies. They are kept by the monks in the morning (from 5.30 to 7 am) and evening (7 – 8 pm).
There are also special celebrations in the Temple at which students take part. If you are looking for a full Buddhist experience than Yunnan Shaolin Temple is the perfect location for you to experience the Buddhist monks’ lifestyle.
TEA CEREMONY
We keep classes for Tea ceremony for students to attend. During these classes you will learn how to do a proper ceremony, taste different types of Chinese Tea (Pu’er Tea is specific for the Yunnan Province) and understand the benefits of drinking tea for the body. You will be also able to keep your own Tea Ceremony as part of the practice.
CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy is taught as part of the Culture Curriculum. For this class is advisable to have basic knowledge of Chinese Mandarin. However you can try the class even if your knowledge is not sufficient.
Often we invite some of the best Masters of Calligraphy in China to keep classes. These way students can learn and understand the art of Calligraphy.
ANCIENT INSTRUMENT & MUSIC
During weekends, in the Dining Hall, we have invited a Master which teaches ancient instrument called Er-Hu.
As part of the curriculum, we teach the students the song SHAOLIN – SHAOLIN.
VISUAL ARTS
As part of this experience, students will learn about the architecture of the Buddhist Temples. There are specific symbols used to build a Temple and each part of the Temple and room has a specific significance.
