Shaolin Monastery - a Homecoming (Karen Joy Fletcher)
I LOVE being back in Shaolin, the homeland of our ZY Qigong lineage (中原气功)! While for some people it may seem too touristy as many people travel here each day, because I’ve lived here for a month many years ago with Xu Mingtang and my other qigong family members from around the world, this place’s deep mystical and ancient teachings of the Land, surrounding Mountains, temples, caves, water holes and history in the temple walls...read more ..
First group
Dates: 8th July – 29th July 2016 (3 weeks)Cost: 16,600 Yuan （according to today’s exchange rate it is about 2522 US dollars or about 2315 Euros） (can be paid in US Dollars or Euros, based on the exchange rate as of 8th July, 2016. All payment is accepted in cash at the date of arrival).
Approximate exchange rates of February, 2016 are:
1EUR = 7.17 Yuan and 1 USD = 6.58 Yuan.
Detailed Program Schedule
July 8th: Arrival to Beijing
Arrival to Beijing and registration of participants. Check-in time is noon. Retreat participants should arrange their own transport from the airport to the hotel (detailed information regarding Beijing taxi service will be published later).
Hotel (to be determined) rooms available:
| Double room | 2 persons | included in retreat price |
| Single room | 1 person | additional payment 200 yuan/night |
Attention! The prices for accommodation can slightly change!
July 9th: Travel to Shaolin
The majority of the group travels by train. You need to send the copy of your passport to our e-mail address as soon as possible (at least one month before arrival) and present your passport (the original document) to organizers not later then 2 p.m. July 8th.We need your passport to buy the train ticket for you. Check out time from hotel is at 9.00 a.m. Arrival at Shaolin area is planned around 4.30 p.m. The trip by train to Zhengzhou takes about 3 hours, the bus-ride from Zhengzhou to Shaolin takes about 2 hours. We will check in and have a dinner at Shaolin around 6 o’clock.
You may also fly to Zhengzhou 郑州 (cost not included in retreat price). Traveling by air costs about $100-120 US Dollars, each way. Flying is recommended for those who may not be able to get to Beijing before 2 p.m. July 8th . Without your passport we will not be able to buy your train ticket. You should book your own airfare directly to Zhengzhou 郑州 from your home country. The managers can send a taxi to pick you up at the airport upon your arrival. The taxi-fare from the airport in Zhengzhou to Shaolin is about 400 Yuan. It is approximately 2 hours long ride. If you book the recommended flight, we will organize a bus from Zhengzhou airport to take you to Shaolin.
First group, July 9th, 2016 Beijing北京-Zhengzhou郑州
| Flight number | Departure from Beijing | Arrival to Zhengzhou |
| CA 1325 | 14:55 | 16:40 |
July 9th: Settling into the hotels in Shaolin.
Accommodations in Shaolin.
You can choose between two hotels in Shaolin area.
Hotel Dharma (old simple hotel, our usual accommodation)
Please, note that the additional cost of the hotel can slightly change!
Dharma hotel is where the majority of the group stays, and it is where the retreat lectures with Grandmaster Xu Mingtang are held. The Dharma hotel renovated rooms on the lower floors (1, 2, 3). Rooms on the upper floors (4,5,6) remain in the same condition as before. The prices of the renovated rooms are raised due to the renovation. The non-renovated rooms in Dharma Hotel do not have any extra charge.
Accommodation options:
Attention! The prices for accommodation can slightly change!
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION | COST |
| Non-renovated Double Room | non-renovated room on the upper floors, two people | included in retreat price |
| Renovated Double Room | renovated room on the lower floors, two people | 40 Yuan / day / person |
| Non-renovated Single Room | upper floor double room used by one person | 90 Yuan / day / person |
| Renovated Single Room | double room for single use in the renovated section of the hotel | 150 Yuan / day / person |
Please note that Hotel Dharma also has rooms with 3-and 4-beds.
Hotel with improved conditions (a new hotel)
Hotel Zen is located a short walk from Hotel Dharma. It is located on the road between Dharma and Shaolin Monastery (closer to the Monastery).
Note, morning practice takes place at the gates of Shaolin Monastery.
Accommodation options:
Attention! The prices for accommodation can slightly change!
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION | COST |
| Double | Two people in double room | 110 Yuan / day / person |
| Single* | One person in double room | 220 Yuan / day / person |
*Please note: We will first assign double rooms, i.e. rooms for all those wishing to share rooms with other participants. If after this there are rooms still available, we will then assign single rooms based on availability. We cannot guarantee that there will be enough rooms to fulfill all single use requests.
July 9th – July 25th: Retreat at Shaolin
Classes start on July 9 at 7 p.m. Training ends on July 25 at 6 p.m. We will organize some trips to the mountains and to Luoyang during this time.
July 26th: Departure from Shaolin to Beijing
The main group travels by bus. Check out time from hotel is 26 July, at 6.00 a.m. We will have a bus-ride to Zhengzhou train station; the entire group travels to Beijing by train. It takes 3 to 3,5 hours to get from Zhengzhou to Beijing by train. Arrival to the hotel is planned around 2 p.m. July 26.
If you travel by plane, check out time from hotel is 26 July, at 5.00 a.m. Arrival to Beijing is planned around 11.05 a.m. Flight is not really recommended, because the trip by train is more convenient. With regards to flight booking we strongly recommend that you book tickets through Zheng Zhou (Zhengzhou 郑州) irrespective of the country you are travelling from. The managers will organize the bus to take you to the airport and from the airport to your hotel only if you take a flight recommended by us (please, see the information below). If not, we can send you by a taxi to Zhengzhou airport. The taxi- fare to Zheng Zhou airport is about 400 Yuan.
First group, July 26, 2016. Zhengzhou郑州-Beijing北京
| Flight number | Departure from Zhengzhou | Arrival to Beijing |
| CA 1332 | 09:35 | 11:05 |
Additional program includes: sight-seeing trips in Beijing, a gala dinner in honor of the completion of the retreat, free time for shopping and sight-seeing.
26th July: Free day (shopping, or visits to the temples, bath complex, etc.)
List of attractions will be provided to each retreat participant.
19.30 dinner at Kundawell
27th July:
7.00 a.m.: Breakfast
9:00 a.m.: Excursion to Tian An Man Square and the Forbidden City
5:00 p.m.: Chinese Circus Show
7:30 p.m.: Dinner at Kundawell
28th July:
7.00 a.m.: Breakfast
8:00 a.m.: Excursion to the Great Wall, Summer Palace (whole day trip)
7:30 p.m.: Dinner at Kundawell
29th July: – Departure
Check out by noon.
Please Note: You will have to cover the accommodation-fee of the extra days of your stay separately, in case you are planning to arrive to Beijing before 12:00, noon on 8th July, or leave later 12:00, noon on 29th July.
We will pick up at the airport retreat participants who will come by flight SU 204 from Moscow. Departure from Moscow July 7th, 22.25 and arrival to Beijing terminal 2, July 8th at 9.50 a.m.
We will organize transfer to the airport for participants who fly from Beijing terminal 2 to Moscow, flight SU 205, July 29th, 11.40 a.m.
All other participants should get to and from airport by taxi.
Second group
Dates: From 29th July to 26th August, 2016 (4 weeks)Cost: 20,300 Yuan (according to today’s exchange rate it is about 3085 US dollars or about 2831 Euros) (can be paid in US Dollars or Euros, based on exchange rate as of 29th July, 2016. All payment is accepted in cash at the date of arrival).
The approximate exchange rate as of February 2016, is
1USD = 6.58 Yuan & 1EUR = 7.17 Yuan
Detailed Program Schedule
29th July: Arrival to Beijing
Arrival to Beijing, registration of participants. Check-in time is noon. Retreat participants should arrange their own transport from the airport to the hotel (detailed information regarding Beijing taxi service will be published later).
Hotel (Kang Ming Hotel, near Kundawell Institute) rooms available:
| Double room | 2 persons | included in retreat price |
| Single room | 1 person | additional payment 200 yuan/night |
30th July: Travel to Shaolin
The majority of the group travels by train. You need to send the copy of your passport to our e-mail address as soon as possible (at least one month before arrival) and present your passport (the original document) to organizers not later then 2 p.m. July 8th.We need your passport to buy the train ticket for you. Check out time from hotel is at 9.00 a.m. Arrival at Shaolin area is planned around 4.30 p.m. The trip by train to Zhengzhou takes about 3 hours, the bus-ride from Zhengzhou to Shaolin takes about 2 hours. We will check in and have a dinner at Shaolin around 6 o’clock.
You may also fly to Zhengzhou 郑州 (cost not included in retreat price). Traveling by air costs about $100-120 US Dollars, each way. Flying is recommended for those who may get sick on long journeys or for the elderly participants. You should book your own airfare directly to Zhengzhou 郑州from your home country. The organizers can send a taxi to pick you up at the airport upon your arrival. Last year, the taxi-fare from the airport in Zhengzhou to Shaolin was about 400 Yuan. If you book the recommended flights, we will organize a bus from Zhengzhou airport to take you to Shaolin.
Second group, July 30, 2016 Beijing北京-Zhengzhou郑州
| Flight number | Departure from Beijing | Arrival to Zhengzhou |
| CA 1325 | 14:55 | 16:40 |
30 July - August 26th : Retreat at Shaolin
Classes start on July 30th, at 7 p.m.
Retreat ends on August 23th, at 6 p.m.
Accommodations in Shaolin
You can choose between two hotels in Shaolin area.
Hotel Dharma (old simple hotel, our usual accommodation)
Please, note that the additional cost of the hotel can slightly change!
Dharma hotel is where the majority of the group stays, and it is where the retreat lectures with Grandmaster Xu Mingtang are held. The Dharma hotel renovated rooms on the lower floors (1, 2, 3). Rooms on the upper floors (4,5,6) remain in the same condition as before. The prices of the renovated rooms are raised due to the renovation. The non-renovated rooms in Dharma Hotel do not have any extra charge.
Accommodation options:
Attention! The prices for accommodation can slightly change!
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION | COST |
| Non-renovated Double Room | non-renovated room on the upper floors, two people | included in retreat price |
| Renovated Double Room | renovated room on the lower floors, two people | 40 Yuan / day / person |
| Non-renovated Single Room | upper floor double room used by one person | 90 Yuan / day / person |
| Renovated Single Room | double room for single use in the renovated section of the hotel | 150 Yuan / day / person |
Please note that Hotel Dharma also has rooms with 3-and 4-beds.
Hotel with improved conditions (a new hotel)
Hotel Zen is located a short walk from Hotel Dharma. It is located on the road between Dharma and Shaolin Monastery (closer to the Monastery).
Note, morning practice takes place at the gates of Shaolin Monastery.
Accommodation options:
Attention! The prices for accommodation can slightly change!
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION | COST |
| Double | Two people in double room | 110 Yuan / day / person |
| Single* | One person in double room | 220 Yuan / day / person |
*Please note: We will first assign double rooms, i.e. rooms for all those wishing to share rooms with other participants. If after this there are rooms still available, we will then assign single rooms based on availability. We cannot guarantee that there will be enough rooms to fulfill all single use requests.
August 24th: Travel to Beijing
The main group travels by bus. Check out time from hotel is 24 August, at 6.00 a.m. We will have a bus-ride to Zhengzhou train station; the entire group travels to Beijing by train. It takes 3 to 3,5 hours to get from Zhengzhou to Beijing by train. Arrival to the hotel is planned around 2 p.m. August 24.
If you travel by plane, check out time from hotel is 24 August, at 5.00 a.m. Arrival to Beijing is planned around 11.05 a.m. Flight is not really recommended, because the trip by train is more convenient. With regards to flight booking we strongly recommend that you book tickets through Zheng Zhou (Zhengzhou 郑州) irrespective of the country you are travelling from. The managers will organize the bus to take you to the airport and from the airport to your hotel only if you take a flight recommended by us (please, see the information below). If not, we can send you by a taxi to Zhengzhou airport. The taxi- fare to Zheng Zhou airport is about 400 Yuan.
Second group, 24 August 2016. Zhengzhou郑州-Beijing北京
| Flight number | Departure from Zhengzhou | Arrival to Beijing |
| CA 1332 | 09:35 | 11:20 |
August 24th: Free Day in Beijing & Banquet
In the evening at 7:00 p.m. we will have a banquet/gala dinner to honor the completion of the retreat, including dinner at Kundawell.
August 25th: Beijing
Free day for shopping, or visits to temples, Beijing baths complex, etc.
List of attractions will be provided to each retreat participant.
August 26th – Departure
Check out by noon.
Please Note: If you arrive to Beijing before noon on July 29, or want to stay later than noon of August 26th, you have to separately purchase accommodations at the hotel in Beijing.
We will pick up at the airport retreat participants who will come by flight SU 204 from Moscow. Departure from Moscow July 28, 22.25 and arrival to Beijing terminal 2, July 29 at 9.50 a.m.
We will organize transfer to the airport for participants who fly from Beijing terminal 2 to Moscow, flight SU 205, August 26, 11.40 a.m.
All other participants should get to and from airport by taxi.
Registration
> Click here to open the registration formImportant Notices:
1. Registration is required for all visitors to join the retreat. No one will be admitted to the retreat without prior registration.
2. Registration is open until June 8th 2016. Applications arriving after this date will not be accepted
3. To confirm your registration you must send us a scanned or electronic copy of your airline ticket.
4. To join the first group, you must have completed Zhong Yuan Qigong Levels 1 through 4. If you do not meet the requirements but still want to join, please write to the organizers at the email below.
To register please fill in your application form on the web-site.
Registration for the retreat is considered to be complete, if participant filled in the application form and sent a copy of round way tickets to shaolin2016@kundawell.com before the completion of the registration for retreat.
1. Preliminary registration to the group:
Fill in the application form on the web-site.
2. Participants' REGISTRATION from preliminary list:
After receiving your application, with all fields filled in correctly, we will inform you about the reception of your application and put you into a preliminary list of retreat participants.
3. FINAL REGISTRATION:
Registration for the retreat is considered to be complete, if participant sent his round way tickets and copy of passport to shaolin2016@kundawell.com before the completion of the registration for retreat.
