The time-honored Shaolin Temple, home of Chinese kung fu and Zen Buddhism, is sending an increasing number of promising youngsters to study abroad as part of an education plan.

Nearly half of the total 300 monks in the historic complex in central China's Henan Province are "post 80s," meaning those born after 1980, and many of them have studied in overseas Buddhist institutions and universities, said its abbot, Shi Yongxin.

The monks with overseas experience have a good command of foreign languages and get used to a modern lifestyle involving social networking, which enables them to reach more and more foreign followers, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

The ancient temple spends several hundred thousand yuan on fostering monks per year, Shi said.

The 28-year-old monk identified as Yanti entered Nanjing University in 2008 to learn religion and philosophy and studied another two years in Singapore.

Another monk, Yanzheng, 27, was instructed in Singapore for six years and then chose the well-regarded Hong Kong University to pursue his study.

"My campus life is the same as many other ordinary students in additional to adhering to the Buddhist disciplines. I also learn university compulsory courses involving psychology, sociology and management," Yanzheng said.

He joined social networks in 2006 and opened his account on Weibo last year.

"The overseas experience broadens my vision and helps me to understand the Buddhism in a modern way," he added.

The old but energetic temple is teaching hundreds of foreign followers martial arts and Zen during this summer holidays and thousands last year. Yanti was among monks able to communicate with them in English.

He shouted "quickly" and "this side" in English recently when guiding the movements of the foreigners, Xinhua said.

Shi, the temple's 30th abbot, has been criticized for vigorously promoting commercial development of the ancient temple.

He initiated the opening of a Shaolin pharmacy, and monks have visited many countries for kung fu shows. His innovations, however, promoted the temple and hundreds of thousands of foreigners learned Shaolin martial arts around the world, Xinhua said.