The ancient and mysterious Shaolin Temple sits deep in the mountains. Shaolin Kung Fu is regarded as the epitome of Chinese martial arts. Renowned for its mystical solitude, the Shaolin Temple has always been a sacred place for martial arts enthusiasts.

Shi Yanxuan is a monk at the Shaolin Temple. Because of his love for traditional kung fu since childhood, Shi joined the Shaolin monks at the age of 14. He practices a difficult soft weapon, the Shaolin Three-Section Cudgel.

The cudgel comprises three short sticks. It can be used in various ways to attack and defend with a flexible range. The practitioners focus on their strength and coordinate their body, the cudgel and their feet to exert maximum power.

The moves of this powerful technique are rather complicated and hard to control. Practitioners tend to hurt themselves sometimes as a result. Shi spent five years practicing basic skills before he started with the three-section cudgel. Pointing, lifting, sweeping and hacking – all these moves evolve from the basics. "One day lazing, 10 days lost," or "practice makes perfect," is one of the principles of the Shaolin Temple.

"Real kung fu calls for sweat and time. You don't get anywhere without lots of practice," said Shi.

Practice and meditation go hand in hand. Home to Zen Buddhism, the Shaolin Temple monks infuse Zen into their kung fu moves. In addition to practicing martial arts, Shi and his fellow apprentices do some cleaning in the temple to cultivate their "inner world."

They mop the tables and the floors. Daily chores can exercise the body and cleanse the mind. This allows the monks to understand themselves better so that they can keep a clear mind in any situation.

"The priority is to cleanse our inner world. When the heart is clean, no other place is stained," said Shi.

Shi is the leader of Monk Team No. 1 at the Shaolin Temple. Having practiced martial arts for 20 years, he has visited many places to promote the profound Shaolin culture in the world. The combination of mind and moves is the essence of "unity of the spirit and the technique."