Time: September 10-15 every year

Venue: Zhengzhou, Henan Province

Origin: The worldwide fame of the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple is attributed to its consummate martial arts dating back more than a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty. During the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD), monks in the temple had already devised more than 100 styles of boxing. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the Shaolin martial arts reached its zenith. The city of Dengfeng, where the temple is situated, has become a center of martial arts. In 1991 the first Zhengzhou International Martial Arts Festival was held to carry forward the heritage of Chinese martial arts and promote local tourist and economic development. The Festival is held once a year.

What’s On: A good variety of Shaolin martial arts performances and contests, and exchanges between martial arts from around the world. A cruise on the Yellow River gives some idea about the landscape and folklore along this mighty river.