Dubai: A crowd favourite stunt show at Global Village — where monks break marble slabs with their heads and do a handstand on two fingers — will be extended for a week by popular demand.
The Shaolin Monks, a jaw-dropping play and one of the international award-winning shows that has come to the Middle East region, will continue to play three times a day, six days a week except Tuesdays until December 20, officials said.
The monks come from the fabled Shaolin temple in the foothills of the Song Shang mountain range in China’s Henan province.
More than 20 monks demonstrate their martial arts expertise from the temple in an awe-inspiring performance. The cast performs incredible superhuman feats that take audiences on an intrepid journey through the mystical history of this ancient martial art and demonstrate the beautiful movements of Chi Gong and Tai Chi with spectacular weapons and combat demonstrations.
The show combines traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, inch-perfect choreography with dramatic lighting and sound that evokes the spirit of their traditions in one breathtaking performance.
The monks are lifted aloft on sharpened spears. They splinter wooden staves with their bodies, break bricks on their heads and fly through the air in a series of incredible backflips.
Badr Anhawi, COO of Global Village, said the extension of the show was due to feedback from the public using innovative technology.
“We utilise continuous guest journey mapping tools to evaluate our attractions and services so that the guest experience is maintained at a high level and this exercise has revealed that Shaolin Monks has grown in popularity with our guests and they want to see more of it,” Anhawi said.
“We are pleased to accommodate the demands of our guests and have consulted with the Shaolin Monks team to extend the show’s duration by a week where the show demonstrates the most realistic rendition of the Shaolin Kung-Fu traditions.”
Shi Heng Song, Shaolin master who leads the troupe, said martial arts are mistakenly associated with violence and aggression but they are actually a means of reaching the highest level of harmony.
“We treat Kung Fu as a meditation, as a means of breaking through physical and mental limitations and reaching the ultimate nothingness. The Kung-Fu practice evolved into a form of self-defence as our monks of old had to protect themselves from bandits that were rampant in the countryside then. They did not have protection and weapons at their disposal and had to rely on their bodies and skill to avoid destruction,” he said.
Mika Singh show on Friday
Mika Singh, the ‘Powerhouse Entertainer’ from Punjab who has left an indelible impression with his Bollywood hits, will perform at the Main Cultural Stage at Global Village this Friday (December 15) starting at 9pm.
Mika Singh, a singer, composer, performer, songwriter and music director in his own right, has millions of fans across all ages worldwide. He has given Punjabi music a distinct identity and his unique voice and style have gained him massive appreciation.
The shows are included in the Global Village ticket priced at Dh15.
