Famed Shaolin Temple to kick starts fresh commercial drive amid controversy
4/9/2008 17:40
A conical bamboo hat, Chinese gong fu slippers and even secret martial
arts instruction manuals ---- all these you can already find in the Shaolin
Temple's online shop with its own registered trademark.
But to realize your
dream of becoming a Dragon Warrior like Poe the panda, you'd better sign up for
the gong fu training courses that the legendary temple is offering.
After a
series of commercial drives, the monastery in the central Henan Province, will
publicize its secret practice "Yijinjing", or literally "Muscle/tendon Change
Classic", a once-exclusive gong fu, by publishing books and providing training
courses, according to the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post.
"We have made
Yijinjing CDs and textbooks and are planning to launch training courses in the
country's biggest cities first and then go to the smaller ones," Cheng Tao, a
senior official with a martial arts research center affiliated to the temple,
was quoted by the newspaper.
But he did not reveal the specific timetable and
course price.
Sources said that Shaolin would cooperate with local fitness
centers and Yoga gyms to provide Yijinjing courses but Cheng said he was not
clear about that.
Yijinjing, dubbed "Chinese yoga", is expected to turn
flaccid and frail sinews and tendons into strong and sturdy ones by a set of
body movements and respiration controlling methods.
"We believe the practice
of Yijinjing can enhance the practitioners' martial art power and build a strong
body even if they are beginners," Cheng added.
He said the movements were
very easy to follow.
Traditionally, gong fu masters only passed down skills
to selected apprentices based on their virtues rather than on their economic
conditions.
The latest commercial move has exposed Shaolin into harsh
criticism, which the 1,500-year gong fu shrine is no stranger to.
Almost 90
percent of the 500 netizens who commented on Sina forum on the piece six hours
after its release voiced their dissatisfaction with the over-commercialized
temple.
"The temple has been degrading to a company," an anonymous netizen
from central Hubei said.
Shaolin abbot Shi Yongxin declined to comment on the
issue. "I am not yet clear about it," he told Xinhua.
Shi has earned the
nickname of the "CEO monk", since many people have accused him of running
Shaolin like a business.
Over the past years, under his leadership, Shaolin
has developed business ventures include kungfu shows, film production and online
selling.
But Shi's supporters said it is a good way to develop Shaolin in
such a brand-oriented society because commercialized operation helps to protect
and spread Chinese kung fu further.
Xinhua
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