Rather than start off the day with more competition, it instead started a little earlier than normal, with everyone departing from their hotels at 7am on yet another convoy busses, headed back to the Dengfeng area for the second time. This time however, the destination was indeed Shaolin Temple, a place most martial artists say is an essential experience if you are ever in China.
Often described as the birthplace of Chinese wushu, this 1500 year old temple has an incredible history and many Buddhism and martial arts related artefacts. While it is painfully obvious to most visitors that the temple as it is today is mostly a government funded tourist industry, its incredible popularity and mystique is a clear example of how much a part of culture and life the martial arts are to the Chinese people (if you go to the temple any other day, 90% of visitors are from other parts of China, not foreigners).
While a visit to Shaolin Temple is a worthwhile experience any time, today it was something special, as over 10,000 students from local Dengfeng schools (mostly from the massive Tagou School, with over 15,000 students attending that one school) lined the pathways and roads and filled the adjoining fields, endlessly performing demonstrations of their incredible skill. Covered live on TV from the air by helicopter (a truly rare sight in this part of China) and on the ground, this was yet another huge spectacle put on by the organizers.
After the performance and procession to the temple, and a short ceremony with Fangzhang Shi Yongxin (the head abbot of the Shaolin temple) the attendees were given some time to explore the grounds and get a proper visit, as for many of the attendees this would be the first and perhaps only chance they have to see the temple. Heading back by bus, many competitors took the chance to catch up on some sleep in preparation for competing in the evening, which for the international competitors consisted of male and female fist forms and male Taijiquan.
