Connecting with the Neighbours
The Shaolin representatives met with various faith communities including the BAPs Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden and with Archbishop Kevin McDonald. There is a strong commitment from the Unity of Faiths Foundation to get UK’s diverse faith communities to help make the Chinese Cultural Festival a success.
The spectacular event will see the presence of Shaolin Abbot Shi Yongxin who is the Ambassador of the Buddhist Association of China and the 29th Abbot in the history of Shaolin Temple. The Shaolin Temple is one of the oldest is China dating back 495 AD. Shi Yongxin, has travelled the world to promote Shaolin philosophy and martial arts as a social and spiritual path for wellbeing, equality, benevolence and world peace.
“We would like to encourage people from all parts of our society to experience the Shaolin philosophy of peace and wellbeing. We are happy to help in any way we can to make the festival a success,” added the co-founders of the Foundation, Anna Prior and Shamendar Talwar.
The Shaolin Cultural Festival will be held in London and Oxford with an inspirational opening ceremony to be held on 10th October at the London O2 Soccer Dome. The whole event will be marked by spectacular martial art performances, seminars on Shaolin culture, Buddhist medicine, exhibitions and Chinese astrology. There will also be a special conference on Chinese Buddhism and Christianity to be held by the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Theology and Religion.
The festival will include the Chinese Zodiac Exhibition, which will display precious Chinese arts and treasures that have rarely been seen by the public outside China. This is a wonderful opportunity for the people of UK to see the real ancient Chinese treasures.
The 1st Shaolin Cultural Festival was held in Berlin and Vienna in September 2012. The 2nd Shaolin Cultural Festival was held in Harvard University, the headquarters of United Nations and Los Angeles Convention Center in October 2013.
The Cultural Festival is organised by The China Shaolin Temple, the European Shaolin Association and Chinese Twelve Zodiac Cultural Relics Protection Foundation in conjunction with the Shaolin Temple UK (China Cultural Funds) with support from The Unity of Faiths Foundation.
