A group of Chinese Zen priests will stage the "Shaolin Wheel of Life" in four Japanese cities later this summer to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.
Through a series of kung fu moves, directed by a London production team, the performance invokes the history of China's ancient Shaolin Temple, how soldier monks founded it and how they protected it from intruders.
The two-hour show, in a dramatic style but without dialogue, is sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Japan and the Japan-China Friendship Association. It will run from Aug. 27 to Sept. 12 in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya. Twenty monks, as well as four actors and a Chinese lute player, will perform.
The show has been performed in 10 countries since 1999.
