The vermilion walls and black tiles, age-old pines and cypresses, the fragrance of burning incense, and soothing Buddhist music floating through the air are all characteristics of Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism .

 Digital Shaolin

Despite the ancient and awe-inspiring atmosphere, life at the Shaolin Temple bears little resemblance to what is depicted in early Chinese folktales. Shaolin monks are embracing a more secular and digital life. Unlike the old image of a monk wearing a grey or yellow robe with a bowl in hand and parcel on his back to beg for alms, monks in Shaolin use cell phones, digital cameras and log on the Internet to understand what's going on around the world. English, along with Buddhist lections, Chinese, mathematics, history, and geography, has become a required course of study for young Shaolin monks.

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