Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre

When you hear “Shaolin monks”, you probably think of Kung-Fu masters in orange robes, who frequently meditate and perform superhuman feats on a daily basis. Now, I want you to retain that image and add a dash of the performing arts and the element of “flight”. The final result of this amalgamation of ideas is the Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre.

As its name suggests, the Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre is no ordinary theater. Located along a slope covered in cypress trees on the Songshan Mountain (a mountain range in the Henan Province), the 230-seat amphitheater possesses a massive wind flow tunnel and powerful airflow engines that allow the monks to perform in midair, which gives the appearance of flight – hence the “flying” portion of the amphitheater’s name.

In 2010, a Chinese businessman, inspired by the design of the Latvia Pavilion in the 2010 Shanghai Expo, was interested in creating something similar; as such, the businessman approached the Mailitis Architectural firm with the request to design the Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre within the sacred Songshan Mountain. The Songshan Mountain houses the Shaolin Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is said to be the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu. With the sacred nature of the Songshan Mountain in mind, Austris Mailitis, owner of the Mailitis Architects company, and his team designed the building to symbolize a mountain and a tree. The sloped and protruding exterior of the building portrays the mountain while the wind tunnel contains branch-like structures that are reminiscent of the branches of a tree. The building’s designs, while made to be symbolic, also serve to further support the amphitheater’s levitation gimmick, as the staircase-like surface, for instance, provides immense air flow for the engines and assists in adjusting natural lighting for the theater’s interior.

Many people visit the Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre for various reasons. For example, Kung Fu students often visit the theater to train utilizing the building’s wind tunnels. Visitors are also welcome to enjoy exhilarating levitation performances and even try out the levitation chamber for anyone daring enough to.