A History of Shaolin
Buddhism, Kung Fu and Identity
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Published:30th Sep '20
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£120.00(9780367204600)
Shaolin Monastery at Mount Song is considered the epicentre of the Chan school of Buddhism. It is also well known for its martial arts tradition and has long been regarded as a special cultural heritage site and an important symbol of the Chinese nation. This book is the first scholarly work in English to comprehensively examine the full history of Shaolin Monastery from 496 to 2016. More importantly, it offers a clear grasp of the origins and development of Chan Buddhism through an examination of Shaolin, and highlights the role of Shaolin and Shaolin kung fu in the construction of a national identity among the Chinese people in the past two centuries.
"...it is impossible to deny that Shaolin has indeed played an important role throughout Chinese history and has certainly contributed to the construction of a strong national identity. Moreover, the true strength of this volume lies not so much in Lu’s conclusions about the importance of Shaolin, but rather the exposition itself of the most comprehensive history of Shaolin in English to this date."- Joseph Chadwin, University of Vienna
ISBN: 9780367660390
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 426g
304 pages