"On the Trail"

The Journals from the Road

Thursday, July 5, 2001: Journey to the Kung Fu Temple! Mixian - Deng Feng - Shaolin Si - near Deng Feng, Henan, China

Tad here...

Woke up in an out of reality air-con room and thanked the angels above and the angels on earth for their generosity, even in life's luxuries. I ate breakfast on the street - two bananas, two pealed peaches, and two tofu sandwiches. I then headed out of town. I planned to ride the steed a bit and then catch or haggle a ride of some kind out to Shaolin Si. I spotted a motortrike driver who didn't look too busy and with 50ish looking on we haggled a price. After we agreed on 40 yuan for the trip we loaded in the bike and then tied it down. I hopped in after snapping a shot of the assembled crowd and off we went. After only a few minutes out some fellows who had helped me make a call earlier drove alongside us in their minivan and told me they were going in the same direction, towards Shaolin Si. I talked with my driver about this and he was happy to head back from there with ten extra yuan and so all were happy. The fellows and I lifted the bike into the car and away we went. They only spoke a bit more English than I spoke Chinese but with the phrasebook out we did just fine, talking about our families and work.

It turns out that their work is delivering beauty products to various retailers and I just happened to be on their milk run (or in this case, shampoo run). We stopped at Deng Feng and I realized that was as far as they were going so after a good sit in the store I suggested we take pictures and then I head off. It was now about noon and I wanted to get up to Shaolin Si, mid-day if possible. I thought that the lunch-bikesit swap might work so I asked at a restaurant that looked a bit shabby but seemed the only option in the surrounding blocks. A big plate of vegis and mein and we had ourselves a deal. I was very thankful to have someone who could watch the steed while I headed uphill without it (sorry Peacehorse non kung fu for you).

A motor-rikshaw fellow by the name of Shen Xiang Ming worked out a deal with me. I was thinking I would take a bus but didn't really know when one would come. "I should have kept my helmet (maotze) on.", I thought as we bumped and lurched around or into potholes along the road in his little rickshaw.

After about 30 minutes we hit the tourist zone, marked by rainbrow upbrella shaded stands selling cool dinks and souvenirs of all kinds.

I purchased a ticket that took me into the main areas of Shaolin Si. Legend has it that a Monk named Bodhidharma brought Zen Buddhism to Shaolin Si from India. Between times of meditation this monk and his followers would do exercises imitating the movements of birds and other animals. Over the centuries these exercises have turned into a form of unarmed combat. But these skills may have had a price, for this temple has ben sacked many times, possibly as a response to these monks joining various battles. Nowadays, there are over 7000 students from all over China studying here and there are probably about the same number of tourists that visit the area each day.

I thought that watching kids practice kung fu would be of interest to many PeaceBike Kids and so Mr. Shen and I first went to some of the kung fu schools. At the first one we watched the students warm-up with a variety of splits and stretches. I was amazed by their flexibility. Then we caught part of a tourist show where student-performers balanced on top of spears. It was impressive and a bit flashy. Personally, I prefer laying on my thermarest.

Later, in the afternoon we noticed many students in green school outfits congregating on a a dirt field. Their first task was to take water from the stream nearby and throw it on the field to keep the dust down. After this,at 4:00 they all assembled into groups and began kicks, flips, dodges, and sword manuevers. I guess I am mainly impressed with kung fu as a physically demanding acrobatic art. I hope that these students are also taught about non-combative ways to handle a confrontational situation.

After this we went to visit the Shaolin Si temple with its murals of fighting monks and other, more common things seen in Chinese temples.

Finally, we headed to the Forest of Dagobas (brick spires) that stand above the remains of some of the monks of Shaolin Si's history (according to Mr. Shen).

I then headed back with Mr. Shen towards Deng Feng. We stopped along the way to see the sister temple of Shaolin Si called Yung Tai Si which is a working nunnery. Thank-you to my guide Song Xiao Juan for her explanations as my "learning English" guide.

Shen invited me to his house for dinner and later he and his family decided that I should stay with them for the night.

I got a chance to meet his wife, his daughter Tian Tian, his father, and many of his neighbors who wanted to see the Maigua (American) guy. After a great dinner and shower I joined the family on top of the roof, our sleeping quarters. With the stars and moon out and a breeze blowing it was just perfect.

Hey, before you go...Happy Birthday,Mom! I am beaming you my love from China!!

with a full moon above,

TAD

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