photos: Xinhua, MosNews, REUTERS
photos judo fille de 10 ans: http://www.exile.ru/2005-January-27/why_japan_wont_get_kuril_islands_back.html
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FRANCAIS
http://french.peopledaily.com.cn/Culture/4230674.html
http://www.china.org.cn/french/227598.htm
http://fr.rian.ru/society/20060322/44638685.html
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Putin promised enjoyable time at Shaolin
Zhengzhou (China), March 22, Interfax - Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Zhengzhou, the capital city of the Henan province. From here he will travel to the Shaolin Monastery.
At the local airport, Putin was welcomed by Chairman of the province's Permanent Communist Party Committee Xu Guangchun and Governor Li Chengyu.
"I hope you will have a very enjoyable journey. We know you are a master of judo and, by our standards, you are a master of kung fu. You are sure to make new friends at Shaolin through kung fu," Xu said, greeting Putin.
The local Communist party official and governor presented Putin with a painting depicting martial arts masters of Shaolin.
Putin is the first of the world's sitting leaders to visit the Shaolin Monastery, known worldwide as the cradle of martial arts. Among the guests who visited the monastery recently was Bill Clinton, although he was already a former president by then.
The monks had been preparing themselves for Putin's visit. "The Russian president's visit differs from the visits of other delegations, because we see Russia as our great friend and we sincerely wish to give Putin a warm welcome," Monk Yong Liao said. However, the Russian president's visit has not seriously changed the monks' routine. "This has had no effect on us, and the sequence of training and meditation sessions and other events is being observed as usual," Yong said.
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Shaolin monks said a prayer for the future of Russian-Chinese friendship in Putin's presence
Shaolin Monastery (Henan Province), March 22, Interfax - Russian President Vladimir Putin toured the Shaolin Monastery in China's Henan Province of Wednesday.
Accompanied by the monastery's abbot, Shi Yongxin, Putin toured the Shaolin grounds and was told about the history of the monastery and its life today.
Le président Poutine a pu
Shaolin monks said a prayer for the future of Russian-Chinese friendship in Putin's presence.
The head of the state visited the rooms where the monks live. They are very modest and contain standard beds and small lockers.
Putin saw the prayer room and the room for meditation. He entered it during a session that takes place every six-eight hours. The room was silent, and a soft light was breaking through a smoke of fragrance.
Le chef de l'état a d'abord visité les chambres des moines qui sont très simples et ne contiennent qu'un lit et une armoire. Poutine visita alors la salle de méditation qui baignait dans un silence profond et dans laquelle une douce lumière pénétrait une légère fumée d'encens. Les moines assis en lotus ne furent pas embarassés par l'apparition du président et continuèrent leur méditation "qui doivent les amener à l'illumination" précisa Shi Yongxin, le supérieur du temple. "Ils pratiquent ainsi de six à huit heures par jour et à certaines occasions, parfois plus de dix heures, sans bouger."
The monks sitting in the lotus position were not embarrassed when the President appeared and continued their meditation that should bring them to enlightening - the heart of Chinese Buddhism.
Putin asked the prior of the Shaolin Monastery how much time the monks dedicate to meditation. He answered that meditation took some six to eight hours every day, and up to ten hours several days a year when the monks sit immovable in the lotus position.
Red badges with Chinese symbols on the monks’ robes drew the President’s attention and he asked the prior what they meant. The prior looked a little embarrassed when answering: ‘This is security clearance done for your visit’.
The Russian president saw not only both spiritual meditation of the monks and their physical training. He visited the gym where the disciples were training. Some dozen monks dressed in gray kimonos demonstrated several exercises for flexibility, body mastering and accumulation of energy.
Plus tard dans la journée, le président russe a également visité la salle d'entraînement où s'exercent les disciples. Plusieurs douzaines de moines vêtus de leur robe grise
After an ‘energy’ exercise a disciple came up to the president and asked to strike him thus testing his belly muscles.
The president chose to tap him on the shoulder. ‘I’d better not: suppose he strikes back’, Putin smiled being impressed with the training.
Le président préféra lui tapoter doucement l'épaule: "Peut-être ne vaut-il mieux pas! Supposez qu'il ...répondit-il en souriant, très impressionné par leur entraînement.
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http://english.people.com.cn/200603/23/eng20060323_252960.html
| "I've seen genuine Shaolin Kong Fu", Putin |
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Russian president Vladimir Putin has paid a visit to Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan province for a taste of Chinese Kong Fu.
Arriving on Wednesday afternoon, Putin was the first Russian head of state to visit Shaolin temple, the cradle of Chinese martial arts in history.
With the red carpet, grand ceremony was held to welcome the distinguished guest coming from afar. Nine pairs of monks in yellow robes standing along either side of the temple's gate holding up streamers, Shi Yongxin, Abbot of Shaolin Temple stepped forward to greet President Putin.
"The deafening sound of bells and drums is usually the most courteous reception for guest in Shaolin Temple, " said Abbot Shi.
In front of a stone tablet engraved with the legend that 13 Shaolin monks with unique stick skills rescued Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, Shi explained that the emperor granted 40 qing (a traditional unit of area and equivalent to 6.667 hectares) of land to Shaolin Temple right after he succeeded the throne.
"It was the most prosperous period for Shaolin Temple, " said Abbot Shi.
"Yes, I am quite familiar with that period of history," nodded Putin.
When the two walked in front of another stone tablet, Abbot Shi pointed at a tortoise-shaped sacred beast and said that it was the son of dragon, and was here especially for carrying the tablet.
"I was born in the year of dragon," said Putin with a smile.
Accompanied by Abbot Shi, President Putin came to a chamber where monks practiced marital arts. When Abbot Shi told Putin that a monk named Shi Yanzhou could protect himself with qigong (a system of deep breathing exercises), Putin, a judo black belt couldn't help beating on Shi's chest with his fist and touched his shoulder to show his praise.
Apart from Shaolin Kong Fu, Putin also showed great interest in the daily life of monks by keeping asking questions such as ¡®are there any female monks in the temple?' ¡®are the monks who practiced martial arts also vegetarian like other monks?' and ¡®how long did monks here practise martial arts', etc.
As Abbot Shi invited Putin to a living chamber that had always been off limit to others, a mysterious scene presented itself before their eyes: 40 monks were sitting down cross-legged with eyes closed in meditation.
The explanation by Abbot Shi in simple language has helped Putin better understand the reason of sitting in meditation. While listening, Putin nodded repeatedly.
President Putin watched the demonstration of Shaolin Kong Fu by monks in the open space in front of Abbot's room, and applauded warmly after each performance.
Putin was very pleased when abbot Shi presented him a set of "the secrets of Shaolin Kong Fu".
"May I show the books to my daughters? They will be very happy to read the books I think," he said.
Upon his departure from Shaolin Temple, Putin said that he was a "super fan" of Chinese martial arts. When asked whether he would show off Chinese Kong Fu to his daughters,
"They are practising it themselves," answered Putin repeatedly and proudly.
When bidding farewell to President Putin, Abbot Shi invited Putin to come again at his earliest convenience.
"I will, and thanks for showing me the genuine Chinese Kong Fu," said Putin.
By People's Daily Online |
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RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin left Beijing for Shaolin Temple in Henan Province noon today, as he continues his two-day state visit in China, Xinhua news agency reported.
Putin, a black belt in judo, will watch a martial arts performance at Shaolin, which is considered the birthplace of Chinese martial arts, or kung fu.
The temple is a member of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizational world heritage sites.
The Oriental Morning Post said today that the area around Shaolin will be under a high level of security. However, the local authorities will not be closing the whole temple. Some of the areas where Putin will not be visiting will still be open to the public.
Accompanied by a 90-member delegation, Putin arrived in Beijing yesterday. He pledged to increase energy supplies to China and launched the Russian cultural year in China.
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Before leaving China, Putin, who holds a black belt in judo, headed to the Shaolin Temple for a taste of Buddhism and martial arts.
Established some 1,500 years ago in central China's Henan Province, Shaolin is renowned for combining martial arts and Zen Buddhism, which features long meditation sessions to clarify the mind.
Putin arrived in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, in the afternoon. Xu Guangchun, Party secretary of Henan, and province Governor Li Chengyu met with Putin at the airport.
Xu briefed Putin on local social and economic development and stressed the province's importance as a birthplace of Chinese martial arts.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his China tour and flew back to Moscow on Wednesday evening.
Putin arrived in Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province, on Wednesday afternoon. Xu Guangchun, secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Li Chengyu, Governor of Henan Province, met with Putin at the airport.
Xu briefed Putin on the social and economic development of Henan province, noting that the province is very famous for the cultural heritage.
Xu said Henan Province represents China's past and present to some extent, adding that Henan is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese martial arts.
He said he hopes that the visit of President Putin, who loves Chinese martial arts so much, will help promote China-Russia cultural exchanges and cooperation.
Putin said, "I'm glad to see that Henan and some regions of Russia have developed very good and friendly cooperation and I hope the province could continue to give a full play in the cooperation and make it a significant foundation for the Russia-China relations."
After the meeting, Putin visited famous Chinese Kung Fu resort Shaolin Temple.
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Putin, minus his black belt, on kung fu pilgrimage
By Richard Spencer in Beijing
(Filed: 23/03/2006)
Vladimir Putin kept his martial arts skills under wraps yesterday on a visit to Shaolin temple, the home of kung fu.
The Russian president - and judo black belt - was perhaps mindful of an encounter on the mat six years ago when he was tossed over the shoulder of a 10-year-old girl on a visit to Japan.
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Mr Putin (back centre, in black) watches a kung fu demonstration |
A monk at the monastery in central China where, according to legend, the art was invented by watching a crane joust with a snake centuries ago, asked the guest to strike him in the stomach to prove the strength of his muscles.
But Mr Putin tapped him lightly on the shoulder, commenting: "I'd better not: suppose he strikes back?"
The president visited Shaolin at the end of a two-day trip to China which has concentrated mainly on energy talks.
Nevertheless, the human side to his visit is just what the Chinese have been keen to show off. Beijing's diplomats are under instructions to promote their culture in pursuit of the latest buzz-phrase, "soft power", to counteract those who warn that China's rise is a threat.
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SHAOLIN
Shaolin, founded 1,511 years ago, was last rebuilt in the 1980s. It has seen a lot of restoration work over the past few years.
The temple has preserved its ancient traditions. Its monks get up at 4 am and have daily six-hour trainings. There are about 100 monks at the monastery. Over one million tourists visit Shaolin every year. Monks stage picturesque performances for the visitors, demonstrating once secret combat styles.
