Rounding hairpin turns on a winding mountain road, the Shaolin temple’s surrounding scenery is as rugged as the legendary fighting-monks themselves.
Both domestic and foreign travelers come from far and wide to the small village nestled away in Henan Province’s Song Shan (sōng shān 嵩山), roughly an hour’s drive from Luoyang or Zhengzhou, to visit the fabled birthplace of one of the world’s most famous martial arts movements.
But Shaolin Temple is more than that – thousands visit every year to pray and pay their respects at one of China’s oldest Buddhist temples. The temple is believed to have been founded in the AD 495 by Indian monk Ba Tuo on land given by the Northern Wei emperor for monks to focus on the disciplines of their faith.
In AD 527, Bodhidharma (Dá Mó达摩) visited and founded what became the Chan (Zen in Japanese) sect. According to popular lore, Bodhidharma crossed the Yellow River on a single reed then spent nine years meditating in a cave before entering the temple grounds. His shadow can still be seen in a nearby cave to this day, aptly named Bodhidharma’s Cave (Dá Mó dòng 达摩洞).
Because Chan Buddhism emphasizes enlightenment through meditation; kung fu developed initially as stretching exercises between long hours sitting in a prone position and were used to help the monks’ concentration. Imitating animals and insects, the stretches eventually became fighting forms, which would make the name of the temple synonymous with kung fu.
The village at Shaolin is fully caught up in kung fu, stopping in the village around the temple affords visitors an opportunity to see youngsters training at the various schools nearby. Children of all ages can be seen spinning in mid-air, high-kicking, lunging with spears and sparring all around, with the sounds of hundreds of young voices barking in unison. Entry to the temple grounds includes access to all attractions within for RMB 40.
Strolling through the temple’s main gate you can see the characters Shaolin Temple written in calligraphy by the Qing emperor Kangxi. Among the highlights, apart from the main temple and its inherent shrines, hosts of contemplating Buddhas and monks roaming the area, are the pavilions on the grounds. A giant wok is also visible, it’s said that it could cook 750kg of rice – and it’s considered one of the smaller woks that once graced the grounds.
In front of the Bell Tower (zhōnglóu 钟楼) is a stele with three faces carved on one side. The faces of Buddha, Laozi (the founder of Taoism) and Confucius are grouped together to represent the harmonious unity of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Nearby another memorial stele provides a list of rewards given to the monks of Shaolin by the future Tang emperor Taizong. As the Sui dynasty disintegrated, Taizong rose up in rebellion. When he was cornered by a local warlord, 13 monks from the temple aided him in his escape. When he later ascended to the throne, he threw a huge banquet for the monks, with the finest dishes and wines available, to show his gratitude. To his chagrin the monks refused to eat due to their strict vegetarian diet – as emperors were likely to do, he simply issued a decree allowing the monks of Shaolin to drink wine and eat meat, though the monks today follow a vegetarian diet.
Many of the pavilions bear a number of wall murals devoted to Buddhist mythology, Shaolin legends and the different stances in Shaolin kung fu – the most well-known depicting the rescue of the prince. Many of the murals were removed and re-painted when the building was rebuilt. The temple was destroyed in 1928 when it was destroyed by a warlord. It reputedly burned for 40 days. The floor in the Thousand Buddha Hall (qiānfó diàn 千佛殿) is sunken, supposedly due to the constant exercises held there.
For those seeking quiet contemplation, the Meditation Garden is nice place to meditate. A hallway wraps itself in a square around a quiet garden there’s a terrace to sit and contemplate while swarms of tourists mill around outside. The hallway itself offers observers an insight into some of the colorful characters of Buddhist lore with statues of arhats stretching their limbs, green skin, alternately scowling or smiling. Some eye you with joy while others stare you down with a sinister glare.
A must-see is the Forest of Pagodas (shàolín tǎlín少林塔林), aptly named for the 246 multi-tiered monuments to noted monks from years gone by. Many bear inscriptions detailing the lives and exploits of the monks for whom the pagodas were built. Each pagoda houses the ashes of a monk interred on the site from AD 791 to 1803. The pagodas take up a significant plot of land at the foot of breathtaking mountain scenery, although the views can be blanketed in a haze that obscure what would otherwise be a picturesque panorama.
Just outside of the Shaolin Temple grounds is the small town of Dengfeng which offers some good opportunities to get away from the crowds at the Shaolin Temple. Check out the Zhong Yue Temple (zhōngyuè miào 中岳庙), a Taoist temple which was originally built for the purpose of worshipping Song Shan the mountain is one of the five sacred Taoist mountains, with each representing an element in the Taoist belief that the world is made of five elements (earth, water, wood, fire, metal), with Song Shan representing the earth element. It became a Taoist Temple during the Northern Wei period and was rebuilt during the Qing dynasty using Beijing’s Forbidden City as a model. Just north of town is the Songyang Academy (sōngyáng shūyuàn 嵩阳书院) one of China’s four “great academies.” Inside the academy grounds are two very old cypresses, over 2,100 years old, planted by Han emperor Wudi.
Apart from these obvious attractions, watch out for demonstrations by martial arts practitioners held at various times throughout the day at the training center just inside the front gate to the compound. For those eager to get a shot of bald gentlemen in colorful robes striking kung fu poses, these types are plentiful around the grounds.
Making Your Trip Easy
Area Code 0371
Practical Tips
For a great kung fu fighting extravaganza check out the International Shaolin Martial Arts Festival that’s held in Zhengzhou every two years from September 1 to 5.
Most visitors to the Shaolin Temple stay in either Zhengzhou or Luoyang and visit Song Shan as part of a day excursion. It’s possible to stay at some of the schools in the village at varying rates, but the noise of young martial artists lunging and bellowing in the early morning may not provide a restful sleep.
Transportation
Airport – The airport is 30km southeast of Zhengzhou and takes 30 minutes to reach the city center by taxi.
Bus – Buses and vans taking loads of visitors to and from Song Shan can be found with relative ease around the Luoyang train station. Bus fare can be bargained down to RMB 15, but be aware that most buses won’t leave until they’re full. Luoyang city buses also head to the temple, but they’re not the most comfortable and take a long time.Be wary of buses that stop at “attractions” like souvenir shops along the way. Once you’ve arrived at the village, touts may try to coax you into paying to watch kung fu demonstrations at the school.
Taxi – Taxis come in two types, the larger one is RMB 10 at flag-fall while the Volkwagens are RMB 7.
The Best of Dengfeng
Shaolin Temple Scenic Spot, Song Shan 嵩山少林寺景区 sōngshān shàolínsì jǐngqū
Address: the north base of Song Shan, Shaoshi Shan, 13km from Dengfeng登封市嵩山少室山北麓
Phone: 287 2138, 288 7139
Opening hours: 6am to 7:30pm, peak-season; 6:30am to 7pm, off-season
￥: 40
Songyang Academy 嵩阳书院 sōngyáng shūyuàn
Address: 2.5km north of Dengfeng 登封城北2.5公里
Phone: 287 0409
Opening hours: 7:30am to 6:30pm, peak-season; 8am to 5:30pm, off-season
￥: 20
Zhong Yue Temple 中岳庙 zhōngyuè miào
Address: 3km east of Dengfeng 登封市区城东3公里
Phone: 286 2577
Opening hours: 8am to 5:30pm
￥: 20
Hotels
Crown Plaza Zhengzhou河南中州皇冠假日酒店 hénán zhōngzhōu huángguàn jiàrì jiǔdiàn ★★★★★
Address: 115 Jinshui Lu, Zhengzhou郑州市金水路115号
Phone: 595 0055
￥: 699 – double room, peak-season; 598 – double room, off- season
Website: www.crowneplaza.com/hotels/cgcch
Sofitel Zhengzhou Hotel 郑州索菲特国际饭店 zhēngzhōu suǒfēitè guójì fàndiàn ★★★★★
Address: 289 Chengdong Lu, Zhengzhou 郑州市城东路289号
Phone: 595 0088
￥: 1,196 – double room
Website: www.accorhotels.com/asia
Yuda Palace Hotel 郑州裕达国贸酒店 zhēngzhōu yùdá guómào jiǔdiàn ★★★★★
Address: 220 Zhongyuan Zhong Lu, Zhengzhou郑州中原中路220号
Phone: 743 8888
￥: 698 – double room
Huanghe Hotel黄河饭店 huánghé fàndiàn ★★★
Address: 106 Zhongyuan Lu, Zhengzhou 郑州市中原路106号
Phone: 797 1005, 797 6354
￥: 423 – double room
Website: www.huanghehotel.net
Food & Restaurants
Most of the food found around Shaolin Temple is influenced by Buddhism – which means lots of vegetarian dishes. If you can’t live without meat, you can fool your stomach into having a good time by ordering su zhai styled dishes. These dishes are vegetarian, but have the taste and texture of meat.
RESTAURANTS
He Ji Noodle Restaurant 合记烩面
Good noodles and Muslim dishes.
Address: 3 Renmin Lu 人民路3号
Phone: 622 8026
Opening hours: 10am to 10:30pm
Lao Cai Ji Restautant 老蔡记
Lots of steamed dumplings (zhēngjiǎo蒸饺) and wonton (húntún 馄饨).
Address: 1 Dehua Dong Jie 德化东街1号
Phone: 695 0885
Opening hours: 9:30am to 10:30pm
Shaolin Restaurant 少林菜馆
Specializes in steamed dumplings and the vegetarian shaolin luohan zhai (少林罗汉斋).
Address: 89 Chengdong Lu 城东路89号
Phone: 631 8113
Opening hours: 10am to 10:30pm
Shaolin Temple Vegetarian Restaurant少林素斋馆
Specializes in various vegetarian dishes, all the waiters here are also Shaolin monks.
Address: inside of the Shaolin Temple 少林寺内
Xi Lan Pavilion Restaurant西兰轩菜馆
Muslim and Henan cuisine, crispy leg of lamb (xiāngsū yángtuǐ 香酥羊腿) and sweet and sour fish on a bed of noodles (tángcù liūyú bèimiàn 糖醋熘鱼焙面) are particularly good.
Address: 49 Bei Shuncheng Jie 北顺城街49号
Phone: 625 7841
Opening hours: 10am to 9:30pm
Xun Yuan Restaurant 雪园酒家
Features Zhejiang dishes such as West Lake Fish (xīhú cùyú 西湖醋鱼) and curry beef (gālí niúròu 咖喱牛肉).
Address: 10 Datong Lu 大同路10号
Phone: 695 1525
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm
Souvenirs
Vendors hawking all manner of wares can be found near the schools outside the temple and in the temple itself. A large parking lot near the Forest of Pagodas features stands selling everything from incense for prayer and postcards to sinister swords and kitschy statuettes. Vendors are eager to make a sale, so any kind of bargaining ability will serve visitors well.
Yellow River ink stones (huánghé chéngní yàn 黄河澄泥砚) are gracefully shaped and make interesting souvenirs. Rub a white tissue against the stone; if the tissue remains white then it’s genuine. Shaolin swords will definitely be an attention grabber if you take one home. They can be found at the Shaolin Sword Factory (shàolín jiànchǎng zhǎnxiāobù少林剑厂展销部) at 1/F, Scientific Technique Committee, middle section of Songyang Lu Dengfeng (嵩阳路中段科学技术委员会1楼, 287 1726).
Other Information
POST OFFICES
Huayuan Lu Post Office 花园路邮局
Address: 7 Huayuan Lu 花园路7号
Phone: 595 1347
Train Station Post Office火车站邮局
Address: 80 Yima Lu 一马路80号
Phone: 698 2586
HOSPITALS
The Fifth Zhengzhou People’s Hospital郑州市第五人民医院
Address: 33, Huanghe Lu 黄河路33号
Phone: 385 8367, 394 5120
COMPLAINT HOTLINES
General: 718 8061, 718 1000
Taxi: 898 6439