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A cultural exchange course offers young Africans a tough but rewarding experience at the famousShaolin Temple. Qi Xin in Dengfeng and Han Bingbin in Beijing report.

At 4 am in a hotel in Dengfeng, Henan province, a 32-year-old Nigerian woman, Peace Emezue, wakes tothe cries of "jihe"! ("assemble"). Half an hour later, still sleepy, she shows up in the lobby to join 19 otheryoung Africans, all dressed in gray robes and canvas shoes.

They walk in two lines for 15 minutes to the Shaolin Temple. This is the routine six days a week whileliving the life of a Shaolin monk. Founded in the fifth century, the monastery is long famous for itsassociation with Chinese martial arts and particularly with Shaolin kung fu.

The morning classes start with these "disciples" closely following the monks' moves and listening to themchanting, a chance to observe and hopefully experience for themselves a state of tranquility.

Like her name, Peace Emezue says she has sensed the spiritual moment several times.

"When I came to Shaolin, I was surprised because the life here is peaceful and simple," she says. "But itis also quite tough - the morning exercises, the hard training. We do it every day except Sundays. It is alifestyle I am not used to, but I am getting used to it now."

To strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Africa, the Ministry of Culture launched the"Shaolin Kung Fu Training Class for African Disciples" last month, enrolling 20 students from Tanzania,Ethiopia, Mauritius, Uganda and Nigeria. The course lasts three months.

Emezue is one of only three women in the group. The other two are Chinese-Africans from Mauritius. Asa karate champion, Emezue was chosen by her local government for the program to encourage womenin Nigeria to take up martial arts, especially kung fu.

"Women also love kung fu and Chinese culture, and I will return and teach my ladies how to meditate anddo the moves of kung fu and qigong (breathing exercise)," she says. "Since I came here, the training hasreally made me strong, especially my legs, because we do a lot of running and mountain climbing."

Wang Yumin, dean of the Shaolin Temple's foreign affairs office, says many foreigners are attracted toShaolin because of its reputation for kung fu and its use in Buddhism.

Shi Yanbo, a kung fu master at the temple, says many of the disciples had experience in other martialarts or had learned moves from watching films, but simulating them was not enough. Kung fu is deeplyrooted in the culture, he says.

So students also have to learn meditation and study Buddhist doctrines that guide people's actions. Tohelp them gain greater understanding of Chinese kung fu, the students are also offered Chineselanguage courses.

Zhang Lifei, the group's Mandarin teacher, says because the 20 African disciples do not speak the sameAfrican language, they are divided into two groups, each containing someone who can speak Englishand can help the others.

"I can speak a little French," Emezue says. "By paraphrasing, I help them to understand what the teacheris saying."

When the morning culture and language class is over, the students join the monks for a typical templelunch that begins with a ritual.

One of the monks walks out of the dining hall with a bowl of rice. After gently tapping on a wooden fish,he places a ball of rice on a stone as a tribute to all beings, while the monks and students chant fromscriptures and clap their hands until tapping of the wooden fish again signals the start of the meal.

Then they all eat in silence.

"Life in the Shaolin Temple is unimaginably lovely and peaceful. It's not like the real world where there isso much hustle," Emezue says.

"I have found a lot of peace of mind here and to be at peace with myself. I would like to teach morepeople how to do that."