More than 500 Shaolin disciples and martial arts practitioners from 22 European countries gathered at Shaolin Temple in Songshan, China on the 15th to "return to the ancestral home of the Zen sect" with a history of over 1500 years. They engraved plaques and inscriptions as a memory, experiencing Shaolin's Zen, martial arts, medicine, and art culture. On that day, the "2024 European Shaolin Federation Ancestral Return Activity" was held at Shaolin Temple. The temple claims that overseas Shaolin Kung Fu enthusiasts come to Shaolin Temple to trace their roots and worship their ancestors, which is a pursuit and practice of the Shaolin spirit. At the event site, worshippers waved flags in front of the gate of Shaolin Temple to welcome the resident monks of the temple. In the flag formation, Sam, dressed in Slovak red and white special clothing, stood out particularly. He, who came to Shaolin Temple for the first time, told reporters that he was very excited to become a flag bearer, and for this reason, he and his companions carefully dressed up. During this time, the abbot of Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin, and representatives of European Shaolin disciples jointly unveiled the "European Shaolin Disciples Returning to the Mountain Stele", which consists of two parts: inscription and text. After the unveiling, Brici from Italy pointed to the stone monument and said, 'Look, my name is engraved on the monument and I have become a member of the Shaolin Temple family.'. The Shaolin disciples and Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners who participated in this event cover a wide range of countries, industries, and ages, demonstrating the profound influence of Shaolin culture in Europe Shi Yongxin told reporters that Shaolin culture is a precious treasure left by our ancestors, and Shaolin Temple has always been committed to integrating them and sharing them with the world, so that the world can better understand China. (New Society)