On July 18, 2026, Chen Zhongbang (Yan Wei), the president of the Shaolin Martial Arts Association in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a group of 12 people officially began their Chinese cultural experience at our temple. The activities on that day were rich and orderly.

At 5:10 in the morning, members of the experience group participated in the morning class with the monks of the temple, feeling the tranquility and power of Buddhist culture in the solemn and solemn sound of chanting. At 9am, the event officially kicked off. Under the leadership of Master Yan Cheng, a knowledgeable guest of our temple, the experience group began their temple tour. During the tour, the foreign guests first visited the Historical and Cultural Museum to gain a detailed understanding of the historical origins and cultural characteristics of the South Shaolin Temple.

Then, the group visited the Temple of the Heavenly King, the the Shakya ManiHall, Zifu Temple and other halls, and felt the cultural connotation of Buddhist compassion and giving. At Zifu Temple Square, foreign guests had close contact with cultural relics such as stone tablets and grooves, and felt the cultural accumulation of the ancient temple spanning thousands of years.

Subsequently, the group watched a Zen and martial arts performance brought by a group of martial monks at the South Shaolin Inheritance Hall. The martial arts monks' combination of strength and softness, as well as their exquisite equipment training, won applause from foreign guests.

From 14:30 to 16:30 in the afternoon, the Nanquan martial arts experience session pushed the day's activities to a climax. The members of the monk group and the Swedish group exchanged ideas and made friends through martial arts. Whether it's the short bridge and narrow horse of Nanquan or the unique interpretation of Shaolin Kung Fu by Nordic martial artists, they all demonstrate the charm of martial arts crossing national borders.

From 19:30 to 20:20 in the evening, all members participate in collective meditation. Under the guidance of Master Yan Cheng, Chinese and foreign friends sat quietly and meditated together, experiencing inner peace and drawing a perfect conclusion to a fulfilling day.

As an important heritage site of Zen and martial arts culture, the South Shaolin Temple in Putian is hosting a Swedish experience group with the aim of promoting the concept of "Zen and martial arts integration" and allowing foreign guests to deeply experience China's excellent traditional culture. On the first day of the event, through various forms such as parades, martial arts performances, sparring, and meditation, Swedish friends who came from afar deeply felt the profound cultural heritage of Southern Shaolin and laid a good foundation for their future experience of Chinese culture.