January/February 2008
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Shaolin: Temple of Zen
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 he Shaolin Temple in central China, recognized as the birthplace of both Zen Buddhism and the martial arts, doesn't give up its secrets easily. American photographer Justin Guariglia made repeated visits over five years just to get permission to photograph the monks who live there. "Tourists don't see the real monks, only students dressed up to look like monks," says Guariglia, who also covered China for the New York Times. But with Zen-like patience, Guariglia slowly gained trust, then access. For the three years that followed, he documented the monks' lives behind closed gates for a picture book. Shaolin: Temple of Zen was published in October 2007 by Aperture. In this One on One interview with Traveler Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows, Guariglia discusses the challenges in getting the pictures and, more broadly, the need for China to stop destroying its own heritage in the name of economic progress.
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