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Ancient Buddhist sculptures are scattered throughout Shanxi Province, including in the world-famous Yungang Grottoes and Tianlongshan Grottoes. In the “Solemn Images of Buddhist Sculptures from Shanxi Province” exhibition at the Shenzhen Museum people can find out more about the Shanxi Province’s history and culture. The Shenzhen Daily article A showcase of Buddhist art in Shanxi reports that the exhibition is scheduled to run until 28 August and features 61 sculptures, 23 of which are national first-class cultural relics.

Chinese experts started a restoration project to save a rock carving statue in Southwest China on World Heritage Day, reports CNTV in the news story Restoration of ancient Buddha statue starts. After three years of experiments, a special fibre has been chosen as the perfect element to reconnect the fallen hands of the 1,000 armed Goddess of Mercy Bodhasattva, one of the 4,600 rock carving statues in Dazu county near Chongqing Municipality.

In his Shenzhen Daily article Guanyin Temple, Shajing James Baquet introduces a new Buddhist temple located in Huashan Park in Shajing, Shenzhen.

Last night we went to the cinema to see the new movie “Shaolin”. Much more than just a Kung Fu film, the fast-paced, breathtaking Shaolin is an experience in the benevolence, wisdom and enlightenment of Chinese Buddhism. I visited the Shaolin Temple, which is located at Dengfeng near Zhengzhou in Henan Province, during my trip to Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang in 2009. Rather than risk damage to the real Shaolin Temple, which last year gained World Heritage listing, a replica film set was built in Zhejiang Province.

Shaolin begins with feuding warlords trying to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant warlord Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin’s masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. There he confronts the harm he has done, learning Shaolin martial arts and repenting. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a stand against the evil warlords and foreign colonists who are exploiting the Chinese people to plunder ancient treasures (something that has sadly happened in real life, one of the worst examples being the French and English looting and destruction of Yuanmingyuan).

Find out more at Emperor Motion Pictures – Shaolin.

The ancient fortress at Dapeng is justifiably one of Shenzhen’s best-known attractions. But the area around Dapeng Town has two more excellent destinations, both of which are Buddhist temples. Read more in James Baquet’s Shenzhen Daily article Two temples in Dapeng.