ThehushedsilencethatdescendsovertheoldcourtyardinsidetheShaolinTemplecarriestheexpectationofsomethingmagical.Ulta 20% Off Coupon AbbotShiYongxin, arotundBuddhistmonkwithashavedheadandasaffronrobe, nodstooneofhisdisciples. Kungfufighterssuddenlyflyintoaction. Onebyone, theyoungstersflip, spinandsoaracrossaredcarpet, flauntingtheirjaw-droppingskillsinfrontofabenchofinfluentialguestsfromBeijing. Ablurofmotionintheirflowingrobes, theboysleapthroughfightingroutinesthatShaolinmonkshaveusedagainsttheirenemiesformorethan1, 500years:theDragon, theEagle, thePrayingMantis. Asnightfalls, andthetemplegroundsareilluminatedonlybyacrescentmoon, thepastseemspresent. TheShaolintradition--unstoppablemonks, empoweredbyBuddhistspirituality, defendingvirtuewithironfists--liveson. Thetruthis, though, thatthemysticallifeoftheShaolinTempledisappearedlongago. Butthefantasyisverymuchforsale. Eachyearmorethan1millionChinese(andsomeWestern)touristsvisitthetemplenestledinthemountainsofHenanprovinceincentralChina, about800kilometerssouthofBeijing. Theygapeinwonderatgravity-defyingkungfuperformances;theybuyswords, figurinesandBruceLeeDVDsatthetemplestore;andtheytouchthestonewhere, nearly1, 500yearsago, thefounderofChanBuddhismandShaolinkungfulefthisshadowafternineyearsofintensemeditationinacave. Outsidethetemplegates, aprofusionofmartial-artsschoolsnowcompetesforthedreams--andthecash--ofmorethan15, 000kungfustudents, includingahandfulofdollar-dispensingforeigners. Thetempleitselfhasplungedintoshowbiz:theBeijingguestswatchingtheyoungfightersinthecourtyardareactuallytheatricaldirectorslookingforperformerstostarinaglitzynewstageshowthatwilltourtheUnitedStatesthisfall. \"WewanttoteachtheworldaboutShaolin, \"saysLiXiming, theshow\'sdirector. \"SoweneedrealShaolinmonks. \"Realityandfantasy, however, havebeenhardtodistinguishthroughoutthelegendaryhistoryofShaolin. Anditmaybeevenhardertoday. ThetemplewasfoundedinA. D. 495. Butitreallybegan, wearetold, whentheIndianBuddhistmissionaryBodhidharmavisitedinthesixthcentury, foundingChanBuddhism(knownasZeninJapan)anddevelopingexercisesforsedentarymonksthatmimickedthemovementofanimals. Overthepast15centuries, themonastery--enviedforitsautonomy, fearedforitsfighters--hasbeenburned, attackedandnearlydestroyedseveraltimes, mostrecentlyatthehandsofMao\'sRedGuardsduringtheCulturalRevolution. ButthesurvivingShaolinmonksengineeredastunningturnaroundbygoingcapitalist. TheyhavetappedintothegrowinglocalandinternationalinterestinEasternreligionandthemartialarts. Today, ShaolinisametaphorforthenewChina--acountryhungrywithdreams, scramblingforprofits. ButBuddhismandbusinessdon\'tmixeasily. TurfwarsoverwhichschoolslayclaimstothetrueShaolintraditions--andtherighttomakemoneyoffthem--haveobscuredthespiritualsideofthings. Shaolinkungfuisnowsuretosurvive. Buthowmuchofitsspiritwillbelost? Shaolin\'srevivalbeganin1982withthereleaseinChinaoftheHongKong-producedcampclassic\"ShaolinTemple. \"Thefilm, starringa16-year-oldmartial-artsphenom(andfutureHollywoodstar)namedJetLi, depictedtheseventh-centurylegendof13ShaolinmonkssavingaTang-dynastyprincefromaconnivingenemy. Withitsheroicfightscenesandcomiclow-budgetprops(suchaspapersnowflakesandspurtingketchup-likeblood), themoviesweptAsiaandwonacultfollowingintheWest. MillionsoftouristsandthousandsofaspiringkungfustarsdescendedonShaolin, changingtheverynatureoftheplace. TwentyyearsagothemonasterywasalmosttheonlysignofcivilizationintheruggedSongShanValley. Buttodayitissurroundedbyabustlingvillageoffoodvendors, martial-artssuppliersandstoressuchastheEnlightenedMonkClothingCo. Butwhentheweekendtourbusesdepart, Shaolinrevealsitself, aboveall, asaplaceofdreams. Shaolin\'ssinglepavedroadisnowlinedbymorethan40kungfuschools, manyofthemsetupbywarriormonksortheirdisciples. (UnlikeotherAsianmartialartslikekarateortaekwondo, theShaolin\"gongfu\"taughtintheseschoolsismoreforperformanceandcompetitionthanfighting. Oneoftheoldestmartialarts, Shaolingongfudoesencompasssomeformsoftaichi, qigongandboxing. )Someofthe15, 000kidsnowtraininginShaolinarerunaways;villagelamppostsaresometimesplasteredwithhandwrittenpostersfromparentsaskingforhelpinfindingtheirchildren. Butmoreoftentheparentsthemselvesdropofftheirchildren, sometimesasyoungas3, hopingthatthe$20-a-monthbootcampswillgivethemdiscipline, strengthandabrightfuture. AttheShaolinMonasteryWushuInstituteatTaGou--whose8, 000studentsmakeitthebiggestkungfuschoolintheworld--agroupof10-year-oldboyssprawloutonarowofbunkbedsafteragruelingdayoftraining. Mosthaven\'tseentheirparentsinmorethanayear, buttheyarefocusedontheirfuture. Whenaskedwhattheywanttobecome, theyshout, almostinunison:\"JackieChan! \"Nowonderoneofthefastest-growingschoolsistheShaolinTempleKungFuandTV/FilmSchool. Itcertainlydoesn\'tlooklikeHollywoodorHongKong. Ontheschool\'sdirttrainingground, 40teenagers--manyinbarefeet, someinobviouspain--kickandpuncharowofsandbagsoverandover. Buttheschool\'s30-year-olddirector, ShiYanzhang, hasbigplans, andanevenbiggersupporter:hismasteristhetemple\'spowerfulabbot, ShiYongxin. (Thesurname\"Shi\"isaBuddhisthonorificthatmeans\"teacher\"or\"master. \")Yanzhang\'sschool, whichteachesmoviestuntsaswellastraditionalformsofShaolinkungfu, hasplaced12studentsinHongKongsoapoperas, includingaseriesscheduledtocomeoutthisyearcalled\"TheBloodyMonksofShaolin. \"OtherstudentshaveappearedonMTVinBritain, andninemorewereamongthe26chosenforthetouringshowatthecourtyardtryout(themostofanyschool). NowYanzhangisplanninganambitiousexpansionthatcouldboostenrollmentfrom200to3, 000students. Hefreelyadmitsthathisguanxi(orconnection)totheabbotishelpinghim. \"EverythingI\'mdoingtoday, \"saysYanzhang, \"isbecauseofmymasterandhispermission. \"Butnewfangledtechnologyisbecomingalmostasimportantasold-fashionedconnections. TheTaGouschool, whichgotgovernmentapprovaltotakeinforeignstudentsin1998, hasestablishedthreeseparateInternetWebsitesthatgenerate10to20e-mailsaweek. Thatmaynotseemlikemuch, buttheschoolnowhasasteadyflowofforeignstudents, includingAmericans, whopayatleast30timesmorethanthelocals. (Theaveragefeeis$600amonthforroom, boardandtraining. )AtasmallerschoolhalfwayupthemountainaboveShaolin, ShiHengjunislearningthepoweroftheInternet, too. LastfallthewarriormonkboughtacomputerforhisramshackleschoolandlaunchedaWebsite. Ithasbroughtinahalf-dozenforeignstudents, whohelpfinancehis300otherstudents. \"Ifitweren\'tfortheInternet, he\'dstillbesittingaloneinhismudhutonthemountain, \"saysZhuHeming, adisciplewhosetuptheWebsite. Thesedays, Hengjunisusinghisnewincometoinstallsomethingelsetoattractforeignstudents:aWestern-styleflushtoilet. LuringforeignerstoShaolinisstillnotasimportant--oraslucrative--assendingShaolin\"missionaries\"abroad. TheShaolinroadshowsgeneratesomuchmoneythatthegovernmentwantstohorninontheact, too. Overthepastdecade, Shaolinperformershavecrisscrossedtheglobe, raisingfundsforboththetempleandthegovernment. LastweekaShaolintroupewowedspectatorsatItaly\'sSpoletoartsfestivalwith\"two-finger\"handstandsandmockswordfighting. SimilargroupsappearedinSydney, LondonandLasVegasearlierthisyear. Theshows, ascriticspointout, aremorecircusactthanclassickungfu, asperformersbendswordswiththeirnecksorbreakbricksontheirabdomens. Atleasttheydon\'tdemonstratetheIronCrotch, inwhichahighlytrainedspecialisthangsa50-poundweightfromhistesticles. Suchtoursareoftenthesourceofconflict, too. AbbotYongxin, whoalsohappenstobeaNationalPeople\'sCongressdeputy, haspubliclydenouncedtherecentshowsinLasVegasandAustralia, claimingthattheywerecarriedoutbyfakeShaolinmonks. \"AslongasShaolinisafamousplace, therewillalwaysbepeoplewantingtosellitout, \"saysthe36-year-oldabbot, whowaselevatedtothetemple\'stoppostlastyear. Butsome\"real\"warriormonks--i. e. , thosetrainedinsidethetemple--saytheabbotismoreworriedaboutprofitsthanprinciples. Thetravelingtours, theysay, incurredhiswrathbecausetheyfailedtoremitmoneytothetempleandthelocalgovernment. Theabbot, meanwhile, seemstopromotehisown. Atthecourtyardtryout, forexample, hedidn\'tinvitetwoofthebestschools. Asaresult, nearlyallofthecovetedspotsonthetravelingtourwenttostudentsofhisowndisciples\'schools. TheShaolinTempleissimplytryingtoprotectanincreasinglylucrativefranchise. In1992itwashurtwhenthreetouringmonksdefectedtotheUnitedStates, includingonewholaterappearedinTVcommercialsandsetupaschoolinNewYorkCity. ThetempleisnownegotiatingwithaHongKong-basedadvertisingfirmtopromoteeverythingfromBuddhisthealthvideostokungfuconsultantsforHollywoodfilmmakers. IthasalsosetupofficialShaolinkungfuschoolsin10locations, includingLondon, AmsterdamandNewYork. OneShaolinperformer, ShiXinghao, remembershow, attheendofa1998U. S. tour, alocalChineseofficialgavehimmoneytosetupaschoolinHouston, Texas. The27-year-oldkungfumasternowteaches100studentsinaHoustonstripmall, sendingregularreportstothetempleandthelocalgovernment. BackinShaolin, Xinghao\'sparentsrunasmallrestaurantwhosewallsarecoveredwithpostersofhimontour. TheypulloutamorerecentphotofromHoustonandmarvelatthetransformation:theirsonisleaningagainstawhiteToyotaCorolla, hissunglassesperchedstylishlyonhisshavedhead. ThequestionhangingoverShaolinisnolongerwhetheritcansurvive, butwhetheritsspiritcansurviveitssuccess. Themoneychasehasturnedthenameintoaproductbrand. HongKongsportspromoterCarlChinghasnoproblemwiththat. HewantstobuildreplicasoftheShaolinTempleinHongKongandLosAngeles, completewithdailytrainingandperformances. \"ItwouldbeabiggerattractionthanDisneyland, \"Chinggushes. ButShiYanlu, chiefcoachoftheShaolinTemplewarriormonks, seemsuneasywithtryingtoreconcilehiskungfuschoolwithhisBuddhistvows(nosex, nomoney, noalcohol). Wearingblacksweatpants, NikeshoesandablackPumajacket, the31-year-oldmastertalksonthecellphoneashewatchesyoungstersdoingone-armedpush-ups. \"Thisisnotabusiness, \"heinsists. Still, forallthetackinessandturfwars, Shaolincrackleswithasenseofpromise. Beforedawnonerecentmorning, 20-year-olddiscipleShiGuocanwasinthedarkrecessesofthemonastery, chantingprayersbeforeanenormousgildedBuddha. Theyoungmanwassmiling:hehadjustbeenchosentojointheShaolinperformersinBeijing. Guocanhadneverbeentothecapital, andthebuswasabouttoleave. Afterhisprayers, heranthroughthemonastery, slidingdownthestonebanisters, biddingfarewelltoeverysacredstone, grabbinghissatchelforthelongjourneytoabetterlife. Forsome, likeGuocan, anewShaolinfantasyisaliveandkicking. GetNewsweekonyourTablet