Egyptians aghast at breathtaking shows of Shaolin Kung Fu

Buddhist monks from China's Shaolin Temple perform Kung Fu during a show in Cairo, Egypt, on Oct 25, 2016. The show is part of the 2016 China-Egypt Culture Year jointly launched by Egypt and China to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shaolin Kung Fu, also called Shaolin Wushu, is among the oldest institutionalized styles of Chinese martial arts. It originated and was developed in the Buddhist Shaolin Temple in Henan province, Central China.

During the 1500 years of its development, Shaolin Kung Fu became one of the largest schools of Kung Fu.

The performance turned more attractive as warriors mixed drama with the traditional Chinese martial arts when they performed drunken boxing, sword and rod, a traditional dramatic show that was warmly applauded by the audience.

Observing the reactions of the spectators, Shi Yan'ao, a Shaolin Master invited a number of the audience on stage to teach them some techniques of the Chinese martial arts.

"This is incredible; it's the first time I go through such a marvelous experience. I thought it would be easy to perform these moves, but this really requires great concentration and flexibility," Hossam Mustafa, a college student said after being trained for a few minutes by Master Shi.

Seemingly, the show did not only captivate the hearts and minds of the Egyptian audience.

"I have seen Shaolin Kung-fu when I was back in China, but I have never seen it here in Cairo," Ma Xuecheng, a freshman at Cairo University, told Xinhua.

The young man said his favorite one is the group-fighting show, with each performer showing the utmost strength and skillfulness of Chinese Kung-fu.

Meanwhile, Master Shi said the event is organized by China's Ministry of Culture as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"We brought Shaolin Kung-fu to the warm and lovely Egyptian audience here with the hope of strengthening the mutual understanding between the two peoples," he told Xinhua after the show.

Traditional Chinese martial art has become a popular sport in Egypt as it attracts more and more local Egyptians to practice on a daily basis at hundreds of Kung Fu schools across the North African country.