New York Times

In May 2006, Vice Mayor Bai Yuzhou of Deng Feng City and former Chief Secretary of the Shaolin Temple Li Zhijie visited Harvard under the auspices of Adams House to initiate an annual exchange program between Harvard students and the Shaolin Temple in Deng Feng, China. The program will be supported by the newly established Shaolin Cultural Foundation and funded in part by the Chinese government. Master Lee and a group of HTCTC members informally began the exchange in January of 2006 with a trip to the temple during intercession. The group, as special guests of the Deng Feng municipal government, was received formally by the mayor and gained audiences with the Abbot Shi Yongxin at the temple. In the words of Master Lee, "This is an exciting time for students from both sides of the world learning from and about each venerable institution combing ancient civilization with global education." Since the Vice Mayor's historic visit in May 2006, Master Lee was appointed International Shaolin Cultural Ambassador by the Deng Feng Municipal Government.

In June 2007, Master Lee will lead another trip to the Shaolin Temple. While students will be responsible for their own airfare, the costs of room and board will be provided for by the Deng Feng municipal government. Travel grant scholarships, also funded by the Deng Feng municipial government, will be available to two members of HTCTC who are also residents of Adams House. With three days in Beijing, a week in Deng Feng, and two days in Shanghai, HTCTC members will explore the major tourist sites of China as well as meet with Shaolin monks and other martial arts students. Those interested in participating in future trips should contact Club President Anthony Vicari.

In addition to this trip, two other Harvard graduates will spend the summer in China studying the intersections between Shaolin and Western medicine. Their advisors include Master Lee and Professor Sean Palfrey.

HTCTC hopes to encourage other student groups to form charters in colleges and universities from around the world as part of the Shaolin Cultural Foundation with the goal of establishing an institution of higher learning with advanced degrees in Shaolin study including Shaolin medicine and Chan Buddhism as well as martial arts. Jaime Gaurnaccia '07 who participated in the January 2006 trip and who chairs the SCF Committee wants to make certain that students from other colleges as well as from Harvard can have the same opportunity of a lifetime that he enjoyed and are able to visit the Shaolin Temple as part of this collegiate cultural exchange.

Update 09/05/07: June 2007 Trip a Success

From 5/21/07 to 6/9/07 Master Lee led a group of HTCTC club members on a journey through four of China’s cities: Beijing, Zhengzhou, Dengfeng, and Shanghai. After sightseeing in Beijing, including walking a segment of the Great Wall and touring the Imperial Palace Museum, the group flew to Zhengzhou, Henan Province. At the Zhengzhou Airport, we were graciously met by vehicles sent by Mayor Bai, and we were driven the short distance to his city, Dengfeng.

The stay in Dengfeng comprised the bulk of the trip, for it was there that club members received first-rate traditional Shaolin Kung Fu training at a local sports academy. Paying homage to the venerable Shaolin Temple was also made possible due to its close proximity to Dengfeng City.

After a week in Dengfeng, the group returned to Zhengzhou and visited Zhengzhou University, touring the grounds and conversing with members of their English Language Department. The last city visited on the trip was Shanghai, the Paris of the East, where Nanjing road offered dumplings and shopping. The group looks forward to their next chance to visit China, and is ever thankful for the organizers of this overseas experience. –2007-2008 HTCTC President, Stephen Chester