Performers of Chinese Kung Fu show "Soul of Shaolin" pose with guests after their debut at Broadway's Marquis Theater in New York Jan. 15, 2009. The "Soul of Shaolin" was officially opened at Broadway Thursday night, attracting a large audience and prompting local leaders to hail the "China on Broadway Day." [Xinhua]

Shaolin Kung Fu will be featured in a cultural event in Paris in May, the China News Service reported on March 16.

Shaolin Kung Fu is a school of martial arts associated with the monks of the Shaolin Temple based in central China's Henan Province.

The event, held by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will celebrate cultural diversity.

The cultural bureau of Zhengzhou City said the event would raise its global fame and perhaps help promote its bid to have Shaolin Kung Fu included on UNESCO's list of world intangible cultural heritage items.

In 2006, China's State Council (cabinet) published the first list of state-level intangible heritage items, including Shaolin Kung Fu.

Four items from China are already on the UNESCO list. They are the 500-year-old Kunqu Opera, known for its graceful movements and poetic lyrics; the 3,000-year-old guqin seven-string zither; the Twelve Mukams, a 12-part suite of ancient Uygur music, and Mongolian Pastoral Songs.

Students of the kungfu school perform renowned shaolin kungfu (martial art) at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, April 23, 2008. The 1500-year-old Shaolin Temple is regarded as the birthplace of Chinese kungfu. Its rich history and culture and extraordinary kungfu performance attract numerous tourists from home and abroad every year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2009)