Shaolin's first temple outside of China to be built in Australia

A concept drawing of the proposed Shaolin Temple complex at Shoalhaven in New South Wales, Australia. Photo provided to China Daily

After more than 1,500 years in existence, Dengfeng's revered Shaolin Temple is to soon start building its first international outpost in Australia.

The renowned Buddhist retreat and kung fu school have completed eight years of complex negotiations with local governments in New South Wales to establish a site for the new temple.

The 380 million Australian dollar (296 million U.S. dollars) resort will be constructed in pristine wilderness at Comberton Grange in Jervis Bay, 200 kilometers south of Sydney.

It will be centered on more than 2,000 hectares of purchased forest land which China's Shaolin Temple, currently led by abbot Shi Yongxin, paid 5 million Australian dollars (3.9 million U.S. dollars) for.

It will truly be a wilderness retreat with a glorious marine national park a few kilometers away.

The temple site resides in the Shoalhaven Shire, named after a majestic river which flows through the lush rural area.

The temple is fully supported by mayor Joanna Gash, who spoke to Xinhua at her office.

"Eight years ago the abbot came to the Shoalhaven," she said. " He was very taken with the spirituality of the land, the people here, the location and he had good visions as to what he could build here. It has taken eight years to today to come to fruition.

"His plan is certainly for a temple, a Shaolin temple, the first Shaolin temple to be built in Australia outside of China. It will have a kung fu academy, it will have a health and wellness center and it will also have a hotel as well. So there are many things to be built there, many things to attract people to come to the area. But basically we're very happy and delighted that we have been chosen to be the first temple outside of China in Australia."

It will be a center for cultural sharing as well as kung fu and well-being.

"Certainly the feature of the kung fu academy will be very much to the fore, but also the educational and wellness areas," mayor Gash said.

"The medicine, the wellness, you go can go to the temple, you can have a meal there, you can visit. Those are the sort of things people will be able to do. The cultural exchange for this area will be very beneficial. The Chinese people want to know about Australia and the Australian people want to know about the Chinese. And that's one of the things that we'll be very heavily promoting. "