Shaolin appeals for protection
Posted at Mar 15, 05 in Shaolin Temple News

Master Shi Yong Xin from Shaolin Temple has urged China¡¯s legislature to enact a law to better protect the world-renowned martial arts centre¡¯s trademark rights.

¡°China needs to make a law at an earlier date so that Shaolin kung fu and other intangible heritage are better protected within a legal framework,¡± Xinhua news agency quoted master Shi Yongxin as saying The 1,500-year-old temple, known as the cradle of China¡¯s martial arts, is under siege from competitors taking advantage of its name, said Shi, a deputy to the National People¡¯s Congress, China¡¯s rubber-stamp parliament.

Yong Xin cited a brochure that read: ¡°Want to practice Shaolin kong fu? Come to japan.¡±

¡°We have to wake up to the fact that some other nations might have already begun to capitalize on our traditional know-how to sharpen their own competitive edge and make profits amid fierce international competition in a globalised society,¡± he  the United Nations to protect the site as a world heritage area.