Red Theatre - Legend of Kungfu - Chun Yi

When my family and I were in Beijing, China, during one of the nights we went to see a play with some friends based on the history of Kung Fu. It's a true story on how one goes about their journey to become the master of kung fu. It was very moving and as an audience member, you could tell how emotional it is for these martial arts men. This show has been rated as the most exciting KungFu show in the world! No kidding, considering how energetic it is! To watch them practice Kung Fu is incredible; such amazing strength and motivation that goes into each move! 

Introduction:

Red Theatre - The Legend of Kung Fu follows the story of a young boy found wandering outside an ancient temple. Like every boy in China, he dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. On the road to enlightenment the young monk encounters many difficulties and temptations.

The show has English subtitles shown above the stage to keep you informed of the story line. The actors do not speak; the show is all Kung Fu, dance and acrobatics. It is the fusion of modern dance with Chinese traditional arts which make this performance unique and spectacular.

Red Theatre- The best Kung Fu practitioners from all over China have been found for this production and it shows on the stage. Their average age is just 17 years old! Additionally the costumes, set design and special effects are up to international standards, created by some of the best stage directors and designers in China.

The Legend of Kung Fu is produced by China's leading performance art production company, China Heaven Creation International Performing Arts. 

Here is a run down of the main character's,Chun Yi (meaning the "pure one"), journey:

 
The lotus blossoms silently;

The sunshine is weaving a rainbow;
A drop of water feeds in to an ocean;
A split second becomes eternal.

Thousands of years ago, in a mysterious land called the Middle Kingdom, many legends were created, martial arts was one of them, made famous by its name KungFu.

In an ancient temple perched high on the side of a mountain, we encounter a little boy, through practicing Zen Buddhism and Kong Fu, our little monk eventually grows and finally reaches the sacred goal of enlightenment.

Scene 1: Initiation; The little monk arrives at the temple, but being of an adventurous spirit, he cannot settle into the strict discipline of the temple. So his master demonstrates his unbelievable powers, and soon he realizes that this is the only way for him, and so is initiated into the temple and given the name Chun Yi which means the pure one.

Scene 2: Learning; The little monk is studying Zen and Kungfu very hard, he soon masters many Kungfu skills. The years have passed by and the boy becomes a man.

Scene 3: Casting; The razor sharp swords are created from the sweat and toil of the blacksmiths. After many years of similar toil, Chun Yi transforms his body into iron.

Scene 4: Illusion; during any form of spiritual growth, the biggest obstacle we encounter is ourselves. Chun Yi cannot suppress his natural desires, and so chases the illusion of the beautiful fairy he has created in his mind, and hence cannot continue with his Buddhist practices.

Scene 5: Remorse; The monk Chun Yi loses his way of Buddhist practices, and so damages his Kungfu. Once the illusion has gone, Chun Yi suffers from great remorse, and punishes himself and then meditated longing to be liberated from all earthly desires. Finally he returns to the path of enlightenment, he demonstrates his strong will and courage by breaking metal and stone with his iron body.

Scene 6: Passing through the gate; Passing through the temple gate is a glorious ritual for a monk; he must achieve this final task to become a warrior monk. Chun Yi, having freed himself of his ego, he now fears nothing; he and his fellow monks have demonstrated their courage and heroism in winning the battle.

Epilogue: Enlightenment; After his long and arduous journey his old master passes on the stave to him, and he becomes the Zen master, the old master lights the funeral pyreto celebrate the end of this life.