Tende Uswege Mwaseba, 25, from Tanzania, practices kung fu with his classmates.

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 from scriptures 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 is so 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 more people how to do that."