Early morning in Silicon Valley, huge crowds lined the broad avenues of the California City of Fremont's Civic Center, awaiting the 2019 4th of July Parade to step off.

A diverse array of parade units totaling over 70 from San Francisco Bay Area cities, including floats, marching bands, dance, martial arts, acrobatics, school, civic organizations, government agencies and vintage cars, contributed to a colorful and cheerful holiday outing for the entire family.

A 40-member parade team from Shaolin Temple USA's San Francisco, Fremont and Silicon Valley Shaolin Culture Centers participated in this year's parade. This is the team's 6th year in this popular parade showcasing Shaolin Kung Fu to share China's magnificent traditional culture to mainstream America. Team Shaolin Temple USA received rave response at every appearance and became a highlight of this annual event.

High spirited youthful students performed the Shaolin Bodhidharma Straight Sword in great unison. Shaolin swordplay, famous for its fluidity, acumen, power and elegance, mesmerized parade spectators with Chinese martial arts prowess and artistic sensation. The Shifus' vibrant display of Shaolin traditional weapons and breath-taking airborne kicks brought roaring cheers from the spectator with "Good for you!" "Wow! Good job!" "More! More!" A colorful flag team rounded out the Shaolin formation with distinct cultural flavor and festive spirit.

Report and photos by: Taian, JZ, SZ.