138 instructors, disciples and students of the United Studios of Self Defense, said to be the largest martial arts school in North America, have arrived at the Shaolin Temple for the school's 15th annual pilgrimage. The abbott of the Shaolin Temple, Ven. Shi Yongxin (yes, the monk rumoured not so long ago to have visited prostitutes) presided over a blessing ritual and handed certificates of recognition to each disciple. more ›

Here's a change: the biggest NBA news in China right now isn't about Yao Ming or Kobe, but rather their 7-foot-1 compatriot, Shaq. The Cleveland Cavs center arrived in China on Monday on a promotional tour, but made an unplanned stop at the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, claiming, "I always wanted to know if Shaolin kung fu was real or not. Now, at last I know - the Chinese kung fu I saw on television, it was all real." more ›

Every now and again, time and space just seem to line up in an incredible display of fate/coincidence (delete as appropriate). For months now, we have been trying to get to grips with the strange brand of Uncle Tom-ism on display in the Shanghai ex-pativerse. It has so many unique facets that it appears to defy summary or clear explanation. Then along came Matthew Polly who wrote American Shaolin, a book that sets it all out with the purpose and prose of a Plato’s Republic. Albeit unintentionally. more ›

At least 20,000 police surveillance cameras are being installed along streets in southern China and will soon be guided by sophisticated computer software from an American-financed company to recognise automatically the faces of police suspects and detect unusual activity. more ›

The video clip about Tong's case was "useful in helping us protect state secrets,'' the Sichuan Population and Family Planning Commission said in a July 31 statement on its Web site. more ›

Fans of 1979's Shaolin Temple, despair. In the spirit of Sylvester Stallone’s switch from the Rambo franchise to trying his hand at comedy with Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot, Jet Li has decided to throw his last roundhouse kick to the head. In a recent discussion with students at Shanghai’s Fudan University, the actor suggested that his upcoming film Fearless, the story of martial arts pioneer Huo Yuanjia (to be released next year), would be his final film in the genre. more ›

Welcome to China's (latest) new Cultural Revolution. The legendary Shaolin Temple will host a new Chinese reality show featuring the world's top Kung Fu masters. more ›

If -- unlike Shanghaiist -- you watch kung fu films for the technical proficiencies of the martial arts sequences rather than for the hilarious subtitles ("You bastard! Try this melon!"), then you'll probably get a kick (literally) out of this month's visit by the Songshan Shaolin Temple Wushu Institute. more ›