The abbot of China's ancient Shaolin Temple will fly to Berlin, Germany, to watch the World Cup final on Sunday at the invitation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

The FIFA invitation came thanks to the growing influence of the Shaolin Temple, considered the birthplace of Chinese martial arts, and Shaolin kung fu, Xinhua news agency said yesterday, citing abbot Shi Yongxin.

Shi said Shaolin Temple set up a Shaolin culture center in Germany in 2001. Shaolin culture has become increasingly influential in Germany in the past several years.

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin went to Shaolin Temple in Henan Province to watch a martial arts performance during his state visit in China.

Putin was fascinated by Shaolin kung fu. In a recent meeting with Blatter, Putin mentioned the Shaolin Temple, which aroused the FIFA president's interest, Xinhua said.

Shi said Shaolin Temple is not only representative of Chinese martial arts but also a shrine of Chinese Buddhist culture. This contributes to Shaolin's widespread international influence.

Much of the 1,500 year-old Buddhist temple's high profile can be attributed to Shi, who has applied to protect the Shaolin brand with international trademarks.