Kung fu nun monastery reopens for first time since Covid

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery A Kung Fu nun practises as she waits for her performance during the reopening of the nunnery for the first time since the COVID-19 closure at Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery in Kathmandu, Nepal He opened the nunnery in 2009 and it now has 300 members aged between six and 54. “We do kung fu to keep ourselves mentally and physically fit, and our aim is to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality,” said Jigme Jangchub Chosdon, 23, a nun who is originally from Ladakh in India. open image in gallery Kung Fu nuns, who practise the martial art for self-defence and meditation, demonstrate their skills during the reopening of the nunnery for the first time since the COVID-19 closure at Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery in Kathmandu, Nepal December 30, 2024 The nuns come from Bhutan, India and Nepal and are all trained in kung fu, the Chinese martial art for self-defence and strength. “With the confidence from kung fu, I really want to help the community, young girls to build their own strength,” said 24-year-old Jigme Yangchen Gamo, a nun from Ramechhap in Nepal.