Kungfu practice and Chan cultivation life for Shaolin Kungfu students from the Republic of Benin and Burkina Faso in Africa, through their two-month study, was at the end on October 12, 2023. The 8th Shaolin Kungfu Training Courses of African Students for the Department of Culture and Tourism was successfully held in Shaolin Temple. The students completed their courses formally. In front of the Abbot Hall, students gave their report-back performance and learning outcomes, and also sang and danced to express their friendship and gratitude to China and Shaolin Temple.

Report-back performance

The Grand Monk Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, Li Yanqing, Party member and deputy director of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhai Chuanming, head of the resources development department of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhu Xin, an investigator of the promotion office of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and master Yankang, manager of Shaolin Temple attended the closing ceremony.

Li Yanqing, Party member and deputy director of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Abbot Yongxin give a speech

Li Yanqing, Party member and deputy director of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, congratulated the students on their graduate. He also said the training courses were held to exactly implement concrete practice of measures about the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) in the cultural field. 

Issuing the completion certificate

Abbot Yongxin mentioned in his speech, the Africa Shaolin Kungfu Games was successfully held in Zambia in July. Around one thousand Africa Shaolin culture enthusiasts participated in the event. Meanwhile the African Shaolin Association was also established and there are around one hundred Shaolin cultural centers from more than 40 countries joining it. This is a milestone of Shaolin culture walking into Africa. 

A representative of students gives a speech

Taking a group photo to mark the occasion

In the past ten years, Shaolin Kungfu training courses cultivated hundreds of Shaolin Kungfu students for around 20 countries successively meanwhile Shaolin culture is also taken back to African soil, building a bridge of friendship between China and Africa.