Shaolin kung fu

The Shaolin kung fu originated in the Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan in Dengfeng, Henan Province. It is an important sect of the Chinese martial arts, boasting the longest history, greatest diversity, widest range, and most profound cultural significance of all martial arts schools.

Mostly about real-combat fighting in its early stage, the Shaolin kung fu has evolved into a well-developed system by drawing upon the strengths of other schools and blending them with its own routines. From 1573 to 1620 in the Ming Dynasty, the monks of the Shaolin Temple introduced the Buddhist practice of meditation into medical treatment, thus integrating the Chan Buddhism (cultivating the heart), martial arts (enhancing physical fitness), and medicine (caring for the body) into a unique trio known as the "three treasures of Shaolin." For more than 1,500 years, the Shaolin kung fu has been passed down consistently without interruption, evolving from a means of defending the temple and improving physical health into a systematic cultural form with a whole set of techniques and rich connotations.

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all have major influence on the values, ethics, and dissemination of the Shaolin kung fu. The Confucian concept of benevolence, as the moral and cultural basis of martial arts, transforms the originally "violent" fighting into something that could be incorporated into the mainstream norms. The Daoist idea of "letting things take their natural course" prompts the practitioners to pursue harmony between man and nature and adapt martial arts skills to the changes of nature till a balance can be achieved between the object and the self and between the inner and the outer worlds. These two teachings, combined with the Buddhist philosophy, bear heavily on the formation and development of the Shaolin kung fu by guaranteeing its steady evolution and popularization. In 2006, the Shaolin kung fu was included in China's list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Nowadays, the Shaolin kung fu is widely spread across the world as a martial arts school of extensive and deep- going influence. It has become the epitome of the Chinese martial arts, as expressed in the saying that "all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin."

少林功夫

少林功夫發源于河南省登封市嵩山少林寺，是中國歷史文化遺產——中華武術的重要組成部分，是中國武術界各大流派中歷史最悠久、種類最繁多、體系最龐大、最具文化內涵的門派。

少林功夫早期形式多是實戰的格斗技法，在發展中吸收各家流派之長，將少林功夫套路歸納成完備的武術體系。明朝萬歷年間，少林寺把禪修引入醫療之中，形成獨具特色的少林醫術，從而把禪宗、武術和醫學融為一體，形成以“以禪修心、以武健體、以醫養身”為核心的少林禪武醫文化，即“少林三寶”。1500多年來，少林功夫有序傳承、從未間斷，由最初保護寺院、強身健體的手段，逐漸發展成為技術完備、內涵豐富的文化表現形式。

儒釋道思想對于少林功夫的精神價值取向、思想倫理文化以及對外傳播有著重要影響。儒家的“仁愛”觀念奠定了武術的倫理道德和人文精神基礎，把本來屬于“暴力”行為的武術納入到正統思想規范中；道家的“道法自然”理念，使習練者追求人與自然的和諧相通，使武術技能服從自然的變化規律，求得“物我”“內外”的平衡；二者與佛教理念相結合，成為少林功夫形成與發展的重要因素，保障了其穩定發展和普及。2006年，少林功夫入選中國國家級非物質文化遺產保護名錄。

如今，少林功夫在海內外廣泛傳播，發展成為流傳廣泛、影響深遠的武術流派，擁有“天下功夫出少林”之稱，成為中國功夫的代名詞。