Siping City Shaolin Martial Arts Academy

Siping City Shaolin Martial Arts Academy is one of the oldest kung fu schools in China with a track record of training foreign students. Founded in 1995 by Shi Xingkuo, a former Shaolin monk, it has trained over 2,000 students from more than 50 countries over three decades — making it one of the most established programs of its kind.

The school is located in Northeast China, near the Ye He Ancient Castle in Jilin Province. This is significantly different from the Shaolin heartland of Henan Province — a different climate, culture, and landscape. The area has historical significance as the birthplace of the Yehenala clan that produced Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing dynasty.

Training Structure

One of Siping's distinctive features is that students can choose their training group based on style and intensity preference:

• Shaolin group — traditional forms, conditioning, hard training
• Sanda group — Chinese kickboxing, combat-focused
• Tai Chi group — internal arts, lower intensity

Each group follows a different daily program. A former student who trained in the Shaolin group for one year described the weekly structure as varied by day: Monday for power training, Tuesday for sparring, Wednesday for long-distance running, Thursday for forms. Training runs in three sessions per day, beginning with a warm-up run.

Weekends allow students to take a bus approximately 45 minutes into town for shopping and leisure.

An Important Caution From a Former Student

A student who trained here for a full year and went on to spend 20 years living in China offered a candid assessment worth sharing:

"The monks that teach there have been training since they were children. They don't always have experience working with adults that started training later, and so sometimes they will push you beyond what is wise. I saw several permanent injuries occur due to a 'push yourself until you break' mentality."

This is not unique to Siping — it is a pattern seen at traditional schools across China where instructors began training as children and may not fully appreciate the physical limitations of adult beginners. It is worth discussing directly with the school before committing, and worth approaching your own training with self-awareness about your body's limits.

Location and Environment

The academy is situated in the tranquil mountains of Northeast China, near Ye He castle, providing a picturesque and peaceful landscape for training mind and body. The clean air and rural environment are frequently cited as positives by former students.

The Northeast China location means cold winters — significantly colder than schools in Henan or Jiangsu. Plan accordingly if visiting between November and March.

Who This School Suits

Siping works well for students who want a long-established school with a track record, prefer Northeast China's environment over the more tourist-heavy Shaolin Temple area, and appreciate the ability to choose their training intensity by selecting a group.

Students should come with a clear sense of their own physical limits and be prepared to communicate with instructors if training intensity becomes unsafe. A good-natured attitude and willingness to participate in group activities are essential — as one former student noted, hyper-individualistic students tend to rub instructors the wrong way.

Pricing

Monthly fees are estimated at $600–$900 including accommodation and meals. Confirm directly with the school before booking.

Information last reviewed May 2026, incorporating a first-hand account from a student who trained here for one year in 2002 and subsequently spent 20 years living in China. Verify current pricing and program details directly with the school before booking.