Meet friends with martial arts, and renew the appointment of "Shaolin meets Angkor". On October 19th, the cultural tourism exchange activity of "Henan" and "Cambodia" real kung fu was held in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou. As one of the sub-activities of the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival, this event aims to deepen people-to-people exchanges between China and Cambodia, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and build a platform for international cultural and tourism exchanges in Zhengzhou.
Zen Shaolin, famous all over the world; Angkor monuments, shining all over the world. In April 2024, the "When Shaolin Meets Angkor" cultural and tourism exchange event was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the field of cultural tourism. Taking the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Martial Arts Festival as an opportunity, the cultural tourism exchange activity of "Henan" and "Cambodia" real kung fu invited cultural and tourism delegations from Cambodia to Zhengzhou for exchanges and further deepen the friendly and cooperative relations between the two sides.
Kung fu performances and exchanges are the highlight of this cultural and tourism exchange activity. At the exhibition site, martial arts representatives from Cambodia brought the ancient Khmer boxing to a passionate exchange with the famous Shaolin Kung Fu. The two kung fu took turns to stage a wonderful dialogue between ancient oriental civilizations.
"Shaolin Kung Fu is the world's kung fu", Shaolin Kung Fu is known for its strong and powerful movements, profound philosophical connotations and rigorous martial arts system. At the event site, the warrior monks of Shaolin Temple performed wonderful programs such as collective boxing, ground trip boxing, silver spear throat piercing, collective town mountain stick, etc., leading guests, athletes, and martial arts enthusiasts from all over the world in front of the mountain gate of the thousand-year-old temple to immerse themselves in the ancient martial arts world and appreciate the unique charm of Chinese martial arts.
Khmer boxing is an ancient martial art with thousands of years of history and has been preserved by Khmer ancestors, and some of the martial arts movements and essentials are recorded on the walls of ancient temples such as Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Banteaymeon. On November 29, 2022, Khmer Fist was officially approved by UNESCO for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and included in the activities of the 32nd SEA Games in 2023, hosted by Cambodia.
At the exchange scene, the atmosphere was warm and extraordinary, and the tiger style of Shaolin Kung Fu and the agility and rapidity of Khmer boxing set off each other, so that the audience feasted their eyes. The audience gathered around and watched this wonderful cultural feast intently, bursting into cheers and applause from time to time.
Kung Fu is unbounded, communication and integration. The development of the cultural tourism exchange activities of "Henan" and "Cambodia" has added a new chapter to the friendship between the Chinese and Cambodian peoples, and the cultural integration has been vividly displayed here, becoming a vivid portrayal of the friendly relations between China and Cambodia.