Ktulu
7/22/2005 1:51pm,
China's Shaolin monks barred from teaching kung fu in Taiwan
Fri Jul 22,11:01 AM ET
China's Shaolin monks were barred from visiting Taiwan to give kung fu lessons since the event did not meet cross-strait "professional exchanges" rules, organizers said.
"We deeply regret the government's rejection of our application for 45 Shaolin monks to teach martial arts to the general public in Taiwan," said Terry Huang, secretary-general of Taiwan's Chinese Shaolin Association.
"This event was meant to promote positive cross-strait exchanges and help boost public awareness of the traditional sports which can improve people's health," she told AFP.
The association had arranged for the monks to offer kung fu lessons free-of-charge in separate groups at 23 locations across the island, including orphanages and aboriginal villages.
But the Mainland Affairs Council, the island's top China policy-making body, Thursday rejected the association's application on the grounds of "serious violation of the rules."
"Cross-strait programs have to meet the criteria of 'professional exchanges' but this event doesn't," the council's vice chairman Liu Te-shun told reporters.
According to the council, Shaolin monks should limit their "exchanges" to martial arts professionals only, not the general public, and the monks should act as one group during their stay in Taiwan.
Taiwan Secom Co, which sponsored the event, said cancellation of the event would cost it some 21 million Taiwan dollars (657,215 US) spent in publicity. It said over 4,000 people had signed up for the kung fu lessons.
Shaolin Temple in the central Chinese province of Henan is known as the cradle of China's martial arts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050722/lf_afp/afplifestyletaiwan_050722150137&printer=1;_ylt=Ag7wrpnrIaVzVSCPsePiIQL2_sEF;_ylu=X 3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
Fri Jul 22,11:01 AM ET
China's Shaolin monks were barred from visiting Taiwan to give kung fu lessons since the event did not meet cross-strait "professional exchanges" rules, organizers said.
"We deeply regret the government's rejection of our application for 45 Shaolin monks to teach martial arts to the general public in Taiwan," said Terry Huang, secretary-general of Taiwan's Chinese Shaolin Association.
"This event was meant to promote positive cross-strait exchanges and help boost public awareness of the traditional sports which can improve people's health," she told AFP.
The association had arranged for the monks to offer kung fu lessons free-of-charge in separate groups at 23 locations across the island, including orphanages and aboriginal villages.
But the Mainland Affairs Council, the island's top China policy-making body, Thursday rejected the association's application on the grounds of "serious violation of the rules."
"Cross-strait programs have to meet the criteria of 'professional exchanges' but this event doesn't," the council's vice chairman Liu Te-shun told reporters.
According to the council, Shaolin monks should limit their "exchanges" to martial arts professionals only, not the general public, and the monks should act as one group during their stay in Taiwan.
Taiwan Secom Co, which sponsored the event, said cancellation of the event would cost it some 21 million Taiwan dollars (657,215 US) spent in publicity. It said over 4,000 people had signed up for the kung fu lessons.
Shaolin Temple in the central Chinese province of Henan is known as the cradle of China's martial arts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050722/lf_afp/afplifestyletaiwan_050722150137&printer=1;_ylt=Ag7wrpnrIaVzVSCPsePiIQL2_sEF;_ylu=X 3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-