"We're working to build a platform to support exchanges between Shaolin disciples and kung fu lovers across the world."

Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Shaolin Buddhist temple in Dengfeng, Henan province, said on the temple's first cultural festival in the United States, Xinhua News Agency reported. The first North America Shaolin Cultural Festival, part of the temple's efforts to expand its global influence, is scheduled for Oct 8 to 14 in Los Angeles. Known as the cradle of Chinese kung fu, the temple has hosted the annual Shaolin Temple Day in California for nine consecutive years, Shi said.