Kung Fu Disciples Really Pack a Punch

JIA Jinyan and his 30 students from Shaolin Temple, known as the home of Chinese martial arts, amazed visitors with special moves like "iron skin," "animal-like boxing" and "qigong" at the World Expo during the Henan Province Culture week, which ended at the weekend.

Although Jia and his students have lived and learned kung fu in the temple, they are not monks. They are known as disciples of Shaolin as they went to the temple only to learn martial arts. Since they are not monks they are free to eat meat and get married.

The disciples of Shaolin Temple originated during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Li Shimin, or Emperor Taizong, the first emperor of the dynasty asked the Shaolin Temple, which helped Li become the emperor, to recruit disciples and train them to be generals for his army.

Jia, 32, was the leader of the disciples and he joked that he would be appointed a marshal if he were in the Tang Dynasty.

Jia's parents sent him to the temple to study kung fu when he was a child because he was sick frequently and had a weak body. He has remained at the temple and now teaches kung fu to newly recruited disciples.

The disciples at the Expo were about 18 years old. They studied with Jia for five years and he said their kung fu skills rate above average among all disciples and monks at Shaolin.

Some disciples at the Expo have learned some of the "Shaolin 72 Skills" that include using their fists and palms to break wooden boards or stone blocks.

One disciple can stretch himself out on five sharp spears - two against his chest, one on each leg and one on his stomach. This "iron skin" move apparently makes a human invulnerable to sword or spear. Another student can throw a needle into a glass from five steps away.

Jia said these top level skills require both talent and hard training.

Most disciples leave the temple once they reach 20 years of age. Some take jobs as security guards, others begin teaching kung fu while others go to school for further study, he said.

To make it easier for disciples to earn a living after leaving the temple, Jia added some modern combat skills into the ancient Shaolin kung fu.

City Crime Rate Declines 45%

THE crime rate has dropped 45 percent in the past three months compared to the same period last year due to public security improvements and a crackdown on crime, Shanghai police announced yesterday.

Police said they have solved more than 15,000 crimes and arrested nearly 14,000 suspects since April 15, when anti-crime and security improvement actions were launched ahead of the World Expo.

Police said 895 foreigners had been caught for either illegal residency, illegal immigration or illegal employment in the past three months.

Local police have stepped up collaboration with police departments in neighboring provinces on highway check points.

This has contributed to the detention of nearly 3,400 people suspected of committing crimes and the seizure of nearly 3,800 pieces of contraband or dangerous goods.

In the latest case, a wanted murder suspect was caught last Friday at Fengjing Toll Station in Songjiang District. He was trying to enter Shanghai with someone else's identity, police said.

The suspect surnamed Sheng walked into the check room without an identification card and pretended his surname was Liu. He told officers Liu's identification number and even provided the names of Liu's parents to prove himself.

However, an officer checked Liu's number and found Sheng was not the man pictured.

Meanwhile, thefts inside the Expo site have been cleared up after a squad of plainclothes officers was dispatched to the grounds, said Zhao Yong, deputy director of the police's criminal investigation department.

Zhao said there are no more professional gangs operating within the Expo site after the officers apprehended two theft gangs.

Zhao said the daily number of confirmed theft cases was less then one "and some reported theft cases were actually only lost items."

Some visitors have lost their cameras but have never come back to claim them, Zhao said

Shanghai Line 2 Restrictions Begin Today

Passengers wait at a station on Metro Line 13, alias the Expo line, yesterday.

PASSENGER numbers will be limited at four stations on Metro Line 2 during rush hours on workdays beginning today to ensure the whole route runs smoothly, the Shanghai Metro Operation Management Center said yesterday.

The four stations are Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, Dongchang Road, Lujiazui and Jiangsu Road.

The management center will also temporarily limit passenger flow at seven stations on Line 2, depending on real-time conditions.

The seven stations are Guanglan Road, Jinke Road, Longyang Road, Century Avenue, Nanjing Road E., Jing'an Temple and Zhongshan Park.

A daily average of 1.3 million people use Line 2, which links the city's two airports.

Officials said an increasing number of passengers have been using Line 2, now the busiest line in the city due to its extension and the increase in tourists visiting the city for the World Expo.

Several stations on the route have been overcrowded during rush hours on workdays. The huge number of commuters has threatened passenger safety, officials said.

To ensure safety, the management center will enact the following restricting:

Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Station: From 8am to 9am on workdays, no entry to the station at No. 3 and No. 5 entrances. From 5:30pm to 7pm on workdays, exiting the station via No. 2 and No. 5 entrances will be prohibited from time to time, and passengers can't enter the station at No. 3 entrance.

Dongchang Road Station: From 7:30am to 8:30am and from 6pm to 7:30pm on workdays, the No. 2 and No. 4 entrances will be closed.

Lujiazui Station: From 4pm to close on workdays and from 2pm to close on holidays, no entry at No. 1 entrance.

Jiangsu Road Station: The No. 2 and No. 4 entrances will be closed from 7:30am to 9:30am and from 5:30pm to 7pm on workdays.

Shanghai VW Boss Dies in Crash

The general manager of Shanghai Volkswagen died in a car accident on Saturday(2010-7-19)in west China's Gansu Province, the company said today.

The company confirmed the deaths of general manager Liu Jian and three other employees in Jiuquan City. They died when their car crashed with a truck after a promotion campaign.

The company issued the statement after the news broke in online vehicle forums early today. The company said they are working as usual and the service to customers will not be affected by the tragedy.