GUS GATES - CHINA TRIP 2011

CHINA CULTURAL EXPEDITION & MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING™
11 Days - Beijing, Wudang Mountains, Shaolin Temple, Beijing – October, 2011

Become some of the very few Westerners to explore these historic and remote areas. Explore or train with local masters in the ancient locations where martial arts were born.

This expedition is designed for individuals, couples and family groups - with or without martial arts experience. Our members will experience a rare “inside view” and “touch” the history, atmosphere and cultural background where ancient Chinese legends, historic events, and modern Kung Fu films were born. Discover remote legendary temples and have the option to become one of the select few to train along side local martial arts masters. Explore the wonders of ancient Peking by rickshaw, see inside the legendary Shaolin Temple, marvel at the scenic wonders of the Wudang Mountains, their temples and traditions.

Many of our members have told us that this was a “life changing experience.”

ITINERARY

Sun	Los Angeles to Beijing - late evening flight
Mon	Beijing - arrive 6am, Morning coach to the Great Wall Walk the Great Wall and visit local antique shops Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon visit the Valley of the Emperors and Ming Tombs. Transfer to airport Evening flight to Xiangfan airport at base of the Wudang Mountains 6.00pm / 8.40pm Local hotel at base of Wudang Mountains
Tues	Wudang - Morning train up mountains and then coach up into into the Wudang Mountains Check into Hotel, Lunch Afternoon audience with our Wudang Grand Master Introduction to training and evening free
Wed	Wudang - Morning training or explore the temple grounds Sightseeing mountains and local historic sights late morning to mid afternoon Late afternoon training and evening free
Thurs	Wudang - Morning training or explore local area Sightseeing – travel by coach and cable car to the famous Golden Temple Late afternoon training and evening free
Fri	Wudang - Morning training or explore local area Sightseeing local area where Karate Kid and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon filmed. Late afternoon training and evening free
Sat	Wudang - Morning training or sightseeing temple Afternoon demonstration inside the Temple of Purple Cloud Presentation ceremony for training certificate Picture opportunity for all members with Grand Master Late Afternoon transfer down mountain by coach and train Evening flight to Beijing CA1386 9:40pm/11:30pm
Sun	Beijing / Zhengzhou / Shaolin flight 10.30am / 11.50am Morning flight Beijing to Zhengzhou and then coach transfer Zhengzhou to Shaolin Mid-afternoon visit inside the Shaolin Temple and evening Shaolin Monk demonstration
Mon	Shaolin - Optional early morning viewing of young monks training outside the Shaolin Temple Optional full day training with Shaolin Master or explore local area and inside temple Lunch time free for shopping in Shaolin village
Tues	Shaolin - Morning free to explore Dharma Cave and Pagoda Forest Check out of hotel at noon. Lunch. Afternoon closing ceremony and presentation of certificates Coach transfer at 3pm to Zhengzhou train station ( 2 hrs) Bullet Train to Beijing 6:06pm/10:57pm
Wed	Beijing - Morning, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. Lunch, afternoon visit old Peking city with rickshaw ride through ancient lanes Visit tea house for tea ceremony Transfer to airport. Flight Beijing/ LAX, arrive LAX afternoon

Expedition design and itinerary by Gus Gates Kung Fu & Prior Consulting Group CA.

REMOTE WUDANG MOUNTAINS - 4 Days
World National Heritage Site, Breathtaking Scenery & Wushu Masters
We train where The Karate Kid and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon were filmed.

Picturesque mountains shroud the mystery of the Wudang Mountain and its Temples.Taoist culture has existed on Mt. Wudang since AD 25. The first temples on Mount Wudang were constructed between AD 618-907. The greatest period of development was during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644), construction included nine palaces and seventy-two temples. Wudang Mountain was recently named a World Heritage site in 1994.

Wudang is also world-famous for its distinctive style of martial arts called Wudang Wushu. This form of martial arts is highly regarded in China; on par with the skills of the betterknow Shaolin monks. It's still practiced today by Taoist priests as part of their daily routine. This Kung Fu style has evolved into variations like Tai Chi and Ba Gua. The technique is considered soft or internal kung fu while the Shaolin style is hard or external.

Highlights

Each day we will travel to different locations to visit ancient sites and temples, scenic locations, and to view the local wildlife.
Join local Wudang Wushu Grand Masters inside the Purple Cloud Palace for training in the morning and late afternoon, or choose to meditate or explore the centuries old grounds of this ancient temple and surrounding mountains.
Enjoy a special Wushu performance inside the Grounds of the Temple of the Purple Cloud.
For those who choose to train a Temple Training Certificate will be presented to our members by the Wushu Grand Master on our last day.
A photo opportunity is available with the Grand Master for all members on the last day.

We stay within a few minutes walk of the Temple of the Purple Cloud and Purple Heaven Palace. The Palace was built in 1119-26, rebuilt in 1413 and extended in 1803-20, is the largest and best-preserved building complex in the Wudang Mountains. There are five ascending terraces on the central axis, each with its hall; on the sides of the halls there are pavilions and annexes used by the Taoist monks as living quarters. The main structure is the Purple Heaven Hall, built from gigantic wooden pillars and beams. The decoration is sumptuous, especially the roof, which is covered with peacock-blue tiles and ornamented ridge tiles. The Nanyang Palace, built in 1285-1310 and extended in 1312, includes 21 buildings. The major buildings include the Tianyi-Zhenqing Stone Hall, Liangyi Hall, Bagua Pavilion, Tiger and Dragon Hall, Grand Pavilion and South Heavenly Gate.

One of our unique experiences is to travel by cable car to the top of the peak of the Wudang Mountains to explore the famous Golden Hall Temple – as seen in the 2010 Karate Kid movie. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your China experience. The Golden Hall (Jindian or Jinding), situated at the top of Tianzhu Peak (1612m), is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Wudangshan. It was built in 1416 during the Ming Dynasty. According to local histories, the hall was forged in Beijing, then carried to Wudangshan. The Golden Hall is one part of the Supreme Harmony Temple (Taihe Palace). Built entirely of gilded copper (an incredible 20 tons of fine copper, and 300 kilograms of gold), the hall is one of the biggest gilded copper temples in China.The Golden Hall contains a bronze statue of Zhen Wu, another name for the Northern Emperor, Beidi (Cantonese Pak Tai), a popular Daoist deity. Around the statue stand more gilded copper statues. Between them, the statues and hall represent the best in Ming copper work.

"Wudang Mountain is renowned as the Immortals' Mountain of Taoism and the World for Swordsmen and Women. Made famous in the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon movie. It is a famous Taoist center in China with a long history of Taoist practice and a profound Taoist culture”.

Temple of the Purple Cloud

Golden Hall Temple

Wudang Masters and Students

SHAOLIN, SONGSHAN MOUNTAINS – 3 Days
Shaolin Temple and Legendary Supernatural Monks

Many legends and mysteries surround the Shaolin Temple located in the Songshan Mountains. This region has been known throughout history for the supernatural exploits of its Martial Monks. You will have the unique opportunity to personally witness their unbelievable exploits firsthand and explore inside the Shaolin Temple- the birthplace of Shaolin Zen Buddhism.

Visit and explore the inside of the Shaolin Temple.
For those that wish, special arrangements have been made to train with a Shaolin Master. Various options of soft or hard training are available, including weapons and Tai Chi. Training is available for those that have never trained before, beginners through to advanced Masters.
A Shaolin Temple Training certificate signed by the Shaolin Temple Abbot will be presented at a closing ceremony.
View an amazing demonstration by local young Shaolin Monks
Be one of the few westerners to view the monks training early in the morning (for those that want to rise early).
Explore the local historic areas including the Pagoda Forest and Bodhidharma’s cave
Some great local souvenir shops are within easy walking distance at the Shaolin Village

Shaolin Kungfu is a kind of martial arts practiced by monks under the special Buddhist culture of the Songshan Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City, Henan Province. Taking martial art skills and actions as the performance form and Buddhism belief and Zen wisdom as the cultural meaning, Shaolin Kungfu has a complete technical and theoretical system.

The Shaolin Temple, built in the Nineteenth year of Taihe Period during the Northern Wei Dynasty (495), is a cultural space for the development of the Shaolin Kungfu. The Shaolin Kungfu, which is originally practiced by the Buddhist monks whose duties were to protect the temple, has been gradually developed into an art of perfect technology, abundant meanings and high reputation in the whole world after more than 1500 years of development. According to martial art books registered by the Shaolin Temple, there are several hundred sorts of routines of Shaolin Kungfu practiced by monks of generations, among which, several dozen are the representative of boxing routines that have been handed down. In addition, there are 72 stunts and Kungfu of special sorts like capture, wrestle, discharging bone, point percussion and Qigong. Altogether 255 routines of boxing art, weapon and mutual practice are still practiced today.

It is said that Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen Buddhism, used to face the wall meditating for as long as ten years in the natural stone cave on the Wuru Peak, Shaolin Temple of the Songshan Mountain. When he left the stone cave, the shadow of his meditating posture was left on the stone facing right against where he used to sit. With the folds on the clothes vaguely seen, the shadow looks like a light-color ink figure painting. The stone is called "Shadow Stone of Dharma's Meditation", and the natural stone cave is then called "Dharma Meditation Cave". The site has survived until now. The monks in the Shaolin Temple then moved the shadow stone and worshipped it in the temple.

The Zen wisdom of Buddhism has endowed the Shaolin Kungfu with profound cultural connotations. The Buddhist commandment has evolved into the commandment of Kungfu practicing, displayed by the Kungfu morals of the practicers. This evolvement has endowed the Shaolin Kungfu with such characteristics as abstention, modesty and reservation, as well as taking regard to the inner strength, terseness and to winning by striking only after the enemy has struck.

The Shaolin Kungfu is an outstanding representative of the Chinese Wushu culture, and is the most representative performance form of Chinese culture.

Shaolin Temple and young monks training

Demonstration in Shaolin Village Center

Pagoda Forest

Early Morning Training and Shaolin Monks Demonstrating

BEIJING – 2 Days
Historical Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, Old Peking, Traditional Tea Ceremony

Visit all of the significant historic sights in Beijing (Peking). Walk and climb the 4163 mile long Great Wall. Travel back in time through Old Peking in a rickshaw, experience a traditional tea ceremony, walk in the steps of China’s ancient Emperors through the Temple of Heaven and the amazing Forbidden City.

The Great Wall

Forbidden City and Ming's Tomb

Tea Ceremony and Beijing Market

Land, Air, Ground Transport, 3 Meals a Day, Sightseeing, Training - US $4,500 per person
Includes; All flights, (No overnight trains), private coach, daytime bullet train, western style hotels, local guides, 3 meals per day, sightseeing and transfers, training in Shaolin and Wudang. Price is based on a twin share hotel room and a minimum 10 people traveling in our group. A single room is additional cost. Discount for children under 11 years. Not included; additional airfare taxes, gratuities, hotel porter fees, your passport, China visa, personal expenses, daily guide gratuities.

For more information please phone me; Sifu Gus Gates • (818) 865 0555 • sifu@gusgates.com