The famous Shaolin Kongfu is actually a comprehensive cultural and spiritual system rather than a mere boxing art.

Martial arts are only part of Shaolin Kongfu's abundant cultural heritage accumulated over 1,500 years, said Shi Yongxin, master of the Shaolin Temple, widely regarded as the cradle of Shaolin Boxing and Zen of the Chinese Buddhism.

The Temple was built in 495 in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581) and is now located in the Songshan Mountain area in Dengfeng city of central China's Henan Province.

The ancient Shaolin transcripts documented 708 sets of the so-called "Kongfu" including practices aiming to build the internal world and medication methods.

Shaolin Boxing, as part of the Shaolin Kongfu heritage, basically serves religious and cultural purposes and should not be separated from the Buddhist spirit, said Shi Yongxin.

The Shaolin master told Xinhua the Temple has been trying to protect the authentic Shaolin Spirit from being violated and misused for commercial purposes in recent years by popularizing the conception that Shaolin monks practice Kongfu as a method of strengthening their inner self as demanded by Buddhist doctrines.

The Temple even organized international seminars and created Shaolin Kongfu plays and cartoons to more clearly position "Shaolin Kongfu" within the Buddhist framework, according to the Master.

Wang Wenzhang, director of the China Arts Institute, said Shaolin Culture incorporating Zen, martial arts, medical sciences and arts is the essence of the Chinese culture and should be further popularized.

Protection of Shaolin heritage should be strengthened so as to prepare the cultural and spiritual framework to be listed as a "world heritage", said Wang.

Being listed as a "world heritage" will help to better protect Shaolin Kongfu, a traditional Chinese cultural system, said master Shi Yongxin.
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2004)