The Shaolin Temple in central China, known as the cradle of Chinese kung fu, is preparing to stage its first cultural festival in the United States as part of the expansion of its global clout.
The first North America Shaolin Cultural Festival is scheduled for October 8 to 14 in Los Angeles, according to Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Buddhist temple in the city of Dengfeng in Henan Province.
The temple has successfully hosted an annual Shaolin Temple Day in California for nine consecutive years, Shi said.
He added that the temple has over a million followers in North America.
"We're working to build a platform to support exchanges between Shaolin disciples and kung fu lovers across the world," he said.
In the past two decades, Shi and his disciples have visited more than 60 countries and regions, mainly to stage kung fu shows. The abbot, known as as China's "CEO monk" for his business acumen, regularly spends two months a year conducting overseas trips.
In September, Shi will lead a delegation to take part in an international martial music festival in Russia. The "Shaolin fighting monks" will demonstrate their kung fu skills in Moscow's Red Square.
Shaolin kung fu has gained worldwide popularity through the success of Chinese kung fu movies, particularly those filmed in the 1970s.
Shi said training has been crucial to the 1,500-year-old temple's development.
"We encourage our young monks to travel overseas to expound scriptures and pursue their practice. We also welcome people all over the world to learn kung fu and practice Zen Buddhism," he said.
The temple, which has more than 300 locally registered monks, also has more than 40 overseas culture centers, mostly in the US and Europe.
Shi has joined hands with a Beijing-based film company to shoot a 3D kung fu movie - a remake of the 1982 blockbuster "Shaolin Temple."