Peng Zhang Li is a 32nd-generation monk who started training at the age of three at the Shaolin

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

in China. He has traveled the world demonstrating his art from the temple. At the age of twenty-two, he left for the Netherlands for a new life and set up a stage show about the martial arts which ran for five years. In 2000, Zhang moved to New York to start a martial arts school. Later he joined work on documentaries about Shaolin, which started a new career for him in film. He has produced, written, and acted in a range of films, in which he depicts the spirit of Shaolin. His films have been co-produced between his homeland China and his current country of residence, the USA. He is mostly known for his movies ''

Last Kung Fu Monk ''Last Kung Fu Monk'' () is a Chinese martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, an ...

'' and '' The Resistance''.

Career

In the early 2000s Zhang Li began in documentaries about Shaolin, ''Shaolin Ulysses: Kung Fu Monks in America'', where he explains his background of Shaolin and his life in America. 2006 Zhang Li made his acting debut in an American horror thriller movie ''Tooth Fairy''. 2010 Zhang Li made his directing debut in the

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

''Last Kung Fu Monk'' where he also played the leading role of the Shaolin Monk Li Long. A story of a Shaolin Monk who travels to New York but ends up in trouble with the Mafia. 2011 Zhang Li acted and directed his second movie '' The Resistance'', a

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

drama mix with

Ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

and

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

adventure. The movie entered

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

17 May 2012 and became a Top DVD seller for 3 months in 2013. Peng Zhang Li continued working with movies during 2012 and 2013, including a similar movie to ''Last Kung Fu Monk'' named '' The Man From Shaolin'', and Zhang Li made a name for himself in the industry as the man from Shaolin to Kung Fu Master to actor and director.

External links

* *Kung Fu Magazine http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=145 *Kick'em review http://www.kickemintheghoulies.com/zhanglipeng.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Peng, Zhang Li 21st-century Chinese male actors Living people Chinese Shaolinquan practitioners Year of birth missing (living people)