Films from Fa Sheng’s Temple: Shaolin Temple (1982)

In honor of the upcoming Kickstarter for Fa Sheng: Origins #3, I’m writing a short series of reviews for Immortal Studios on films shot on location at the original Shaolin Temple of China. Despite Shaolin Temple’s historical significance, very few films have been shot on location. 

The Shaolin Temple of legend is the setting of Fa Sheng’s training. The Shaolin Temple is also a very real place. Nestled in the heart of China, atop the central holy mountain of Songshan, Shaolin Temple is included as part of ‘the Center of Heaven and Earth,’ one of 11 ancient locations in Dengfeng declared as a World Heritage site in 2010. Dengfeng is in China’s Henan province, a culturally rich region that served as a center for Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. According to legend, Shaolin Temple is where Bodhidharma founded Zen and Kung Fu. 

The original Shaolin Temple fell into neglect during the Cultural Revolution of the 60s. And when the Cultural Revolution was over, only a few monks and folk masters survived to carry on the legacy. But one movie changed everything. In a cinematic example of karma, the real Shaolin Temple, which inspired countless Kung Fu films, was brought back to life by a Kung Fu film. That first one was immeasurably impactful.  

When Shaolin Temple debuted in 1982, it was a blockbuster on the level of Star Wars in China. Shaolin Temple was the first martial arts movie to be made in the People's Republic of China. Previously martial arts films were mostly made in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Shaolin Temple was among the very first films co-produced by Hong Kong and China. It allegedly sold a half billion tickets in China; when adjusted for inflation, Shaolin Temple would be China’s highest grossing film ever.

Shaolin Temple was the first film shot at the Shaolin Temple. Through the film, audiences realized that the Temple had survived the Cultural Revolution, and flocked there to bear witness, pay homage, study, and train. Countless fans of the film were inspired and grew up to become modern masters of Chinese martial arts. Ask any master from mainland China’s present generation, and they will say just how influential Shaolin Temple was to their journey. The growth of local martial arts schools and the influx of tourists brought economic power to Shaolin Temple. Consequently, it has grown to its well-deserved world stature, again thriving as a place of worship and a fiery forge for devoted kung fu practitioners. 

Beyond the novelty of the location, Shaolin Temple was the first cinematic showcase of the leading Wushu champions of the 80s, the first generation of Wushu champions. Although Wushu literally means ‘martial art,’ the term typically refers to a modern sport version of Chinese martial arts. Modelled after gymnastics, Wushu is scored on flamboyant and acrobatic skills, techniques developed for spectacle in hopes to capture a worldwide audience. China hoped to get Wushu accepted as an Olympic game. However, despite staging a special demonstration event at the 2008 Beijing Games, Wushu failed to get any global exposure, much less Olympic acceptance. While skills like 720 degree flying kicks aren’t practical for self-defense, they are perfect for the movies. Consequently, since the release of Shaolin Temple, the influence of Wushu-based fight choreography has penetrated everything from Star Wars to The Matrix. Although Wushu has yet to achieve the Olympic status it craves, it has conquered the world through action cinema. 

Shaolin Temple was Jet Li’s first film. He plays Jue Yuan, a cliché wronged hero taking refuge at Shaolin Temple and training for revenge. Li, or Li Lianjie as he is known in China, is the greatest champion that the sport of Wushu has ever produced. He won the All-Around National Championship five times in a row from 1975 to 1979, competing against adults as a teenager. He was chosen to represent China in a historic cultural exchange with the USA where a delegation of 43 Wushu champions toured the nation and met with President Nixon. Unfortunately, that historic meeting was overshadowed by Watergate. 

Alongside Li were some of Wushu’s other leading champions and masters: Hu Jianqiang, Ji Chunhua, Pan Qingfu, Sun Jiankui, Yu Chenghui, and Yu Hai. Each of them went on to have successful movie careers too, but none achieved the international recognition that Jet Li did. Few of them have been in movies that were distributed theatrically outside of Asia. Pan Qingfu garnered some attention from Hollywood with Iron & Silk (1990), which was based on Mark Salzman’s autobiographic bestseller of the same name, but his part is very small in Shaolin Temple. The others have had lead roles in many successive martial arts films, as well as noteworthy achievements in the martial world. Yu Chenghui (Wang Renze) invented the two-handed sword method he demonstrates in the film and his teachings have spread all over the globe. Yu Hai (Sifu) created the unique fusion of Mantis Kung Fu also seen in the movie. Today, his form is still practiced by monks and students worldwide. 

Shaolin Temple retells a legend out of Shaolin’s 1500+ years of history when thirteen Shaolin monks rescued Li Shinmin, who would become the second emperor of the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE). This event is documented in a prized mural inside White Garment Hall inside Shaolin Temple allegedly painted in 1820 CE, as well as on a commemorative stele gifted by Emperor Taizong, which was the imperial name that Li Shimin took upon his ascending the dragon throne. 

Beyond the scenic locations, the fight choreography absolutely shines throughout the film. The sport of Wushu has a category called duilian (opposed practice) where two or more athletes face each other in choreographed combat routines. No martial art has produced anything as spectacular as duilian. And it’s a perfect fit for the silver screen. The fight scenes in Shaolin Temple remain some of the most brilliant ever shot. The speed, precision, and complexity of the fights are absolutely amazing. 

However, be warned. There are scenes in Shaolin Temple that don’t hold up well anymore. This was long before ‘no animals were harmed in the making of this film’ was a thing. SPOILER ALERT: There’s a scene where Li’s character accidentally kills a dog, cooks it, and shares it with the monks. In one scene, the dog’s decapitated head can be seen in a bucket, and it’s clearly not a prop. Even more disturbing is that the scene is played for comedy. There’s also a frog chopping scene, again for food, but that doesn’t hit as hard as the dog. END SPOILER. 

Two thematic ‘sequels’ followed, one from the same production company, and another from Shaw Brothers studio, both reassembling the cast. We’ll explore those in our next installment of Films from Fa Sheng’s Temple. Until then, tune in, turn on, and support our Fa Sheng: Origins #3 Kickstarter, launching soon! 

By Gene Ching

Immortal Squad, Martial Arts Editor & Action Choreographer

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