10 Origins of a Military Tradition
in elite military units, or as freelance bodyguards for affluent businessmen.
The very best may be handpicked for the Chinese national team, whereas others
may hope for a career in the film industry; at least one Dengfeng student, Shi
Xiaolong (b. 1988), became an international movie star before reaching the
age of fifteen. Young Shi has starred in more than ten Hong Kong kung fu
movies, as well as in several of his own television serials.^5
The economic benefits of the Shaolin Temple are felt throughout Henan,
not only in Dengfeng County. In the early 1990s provincial authorities capi-
talized on the monastery’s international renown. In association with Shao-
lin’s abbot, they initiated the biennial Shaolin Martial Arts Festival (Shaolin
wushu jie), which is held simultaneously at the temple and the provincial cap-
ital. The festival brings to Henan athletes and enthusiasts from around the
globe. It is celebrated in the Chinese national media and advertised by the
China National Tourism Administration the world over.^6
Shaolin’s intense commercialization perplexes some of its devotees. De-
vout Buddhists and committed martial artists aspire to the serenity of self-
cultivation. The temple strikes them instead as a martial arts supermarket
that caters to the uninitiated. Their disappointment was shared by pilgrims
centuries ago. As early as the Ming period some believers were disturbed by
Shaolin’s excessive wealth, which they considered contrary to Buddhist ideol-
ogy. In the early seventeenth century a Dengfeng County magistrate named
Fu Mei (fl. 1610) lamented that “Shaolin’s lofty mansions and splendid fur-
nishings are reminiscent of a government official’s residence. Truly, the de-
cline of the Buddhist teaching is far-reaching. Thinking of the Buddhist
sages of old, one can only sigh deeply!”^7
Even though his first impression of Shaolin was disappointing, Fu was
Map 1. Location of the Shaolin Monastery.