Welsh proverb carved into permanent monument at Chinese temple

Nation.Cymru Staff

A Welsh proverb has been carved into a permanent monument at a historic martial arts temple in China, celebrating a cultural friendship spanning thousands of miles.

The stone also marks the longstanding relationship between Hafan Shaolin Cymru, a martial arts school based in Wrexham, and Southern Shaolin Temple in Putian, Fujian Province.

Jimmy Wong Lun brought Southern Chinese Gong Fu traditions to Wales, and his son, Pol Wong, continued that heritage, founding Hafan Shaolin Cymru in Ruabon in 1995.

The monument, which was unveiled at Southern Shaolin Temple on 17 October 2026, bears the inscription “A fo ben, bid bont”, meaning “Whoever would lead, let them be a bridge”.

Also carved into the stone are Chinese inscriptions, a Welsh daffodil and a Chinese lotus, and an emblem bringing together the Welsh and Chinese dragons.

Pol was ordained a 33rd-generation Shaolin disciple at Songshan Shaolin Temple in 2001 and, following his father Jimmy’s wish, later visited the ancestral home of Southern Shaolin.

His personal journey helped establish a lasting relationship with the temple, which has developed into a wider exchange between communities in north Wales and China.

Through this collaboration, Hafan Shaolin Cymru has developed teaching in Gong Fu, Qigong and Chan meditation – traditional practices that combine movement, discipline and attention to mind and body.

Since 2017, the relationship has expanded to include music, calligraphy, language, folklore, the tea ceremony and traditional arts, with Welsh visitors encountering Chinese culture in Putian, and Welsh music and traditions shared with audiences in China.

The temple’s abbot, Venerable Kong Xing, visited Wales in 2018 and watched a concert by the Rhos Orpheus Male Voice Choir. Then, in 2019, Southern Shaolin monks performed at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Originally conceived as a tribute to Pol’s Gong Fu journey, the monument was instead dedicated to the wider cultural friendship between the two communities that developed from his connection with the temple.

The proverb reflects how martial arts became a bridge between generations and, later, between nations and cultures. The monument is also intended to mark continued cooperation in the arts, education, wellbeing and cultural visits.

The Welsh inscription will remain permanently on display at Southern Shaolin Temple, marking the longstanding cultural ties.

For more information on Hafan Shaolin Cymru, visit their Facebook page here.