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Visit the Birthplace of Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temples in Henan
Published by Kathleen O'Connor, Writer
Country: China 
The Experience
Thanks to numerous appearances in kung fu movies, the Shaolin Temples in the Henan Province are probably the most well-known of all temples in China. Nestled in the peaceful and beautiful Songshan Mountains, they are famed as being the birthplace of both kung fu and Chan Buddhism, aka Zen Buddhism. The "shao" in Shaolin refers to Mount Shaoshi and "lin" means “forest.”
The Shaolin temples were built in approximately 497 AD to house an Indian monk named Batuo, who went to the ancient capital of Luoyang to spread Buddhism. The Indian monk most famous for his teachings at Shaolin however is Bodhidharma, who went to Shaolin in 517 AD. Bodhidharma’s teachings formed the basis of Chan Buddhism and the gymnastics regimen he taught the monks evolved into what we know today as kung fu.
The Shaolin monks were famous for their fighting skills, which they used to defend themselves against invaders and bandits. Shaolin monks trained rigorously and combined fighting practice with a strict spiritual and moral code. During the Cultural Revolution that started in 1966, the temples were ransacked and the monks publicly humiliated. Kung fu went on to be banned until the 1980s, when there was a resurgence of interest in the ancient martial art. The kung fu taught at the Shaolin temples today is a far cry from the traditional martial arts that were practiced by Shaolin monk warriors, who emphasized spirituality and morality as much as physical strength. More students who practice at Shaolin today have aspirations to become kung fu movie stars than studious monks.
The Shaolin Temples have been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times, the most recently in 1928 when the warlord Shi Yousan set the temples on fire, destroying many buildings and important manuscripts. Sights and relics of interest at the Shaolin Temples include a nearby cave where Bodhidharma allegedly sat in meditation for 9 years. You can reach the cave by cable car or stone steps leading from the temple grounds. The temples themselves house impressive murals and ancient stone inscriptions. In the Hall of Wen Shu, there are depressions in the stone floor where the monks stood in the same place and repeatedly practiced their kung fu moves. The Forest of Pagodas is an impressive site where hundreds of stone pagodas were erected in honor of Shaolin monks and where you can observe kung fu students practicing in their orange robes.
The Shaolin temples were built in approximately 497 AD to house an Indian monk named Batuo, who went to the ancient capital of Luoyang to spread Buddhism. The Indian monk most famous for his teachings at Shaolin however is Bodhidharma, who went to Shaolin in 517 AD. Bodhidharma’s teachings formed the basis of Chan Buddhism and the gymnastics regimen he taught the monks evolved into what we know today as kung fu.
The Shaolin monks were famous for their fighting skills, which they used to defend themselves against invaders and bandits. Shaolin monks trained rigorously and combined fighting practice with a strict spiritual and moral code. During the Cultural Revolution that started in 1966, the temples were ransacked and the monks publicly humiliated. Kung fu went on to be banned until the 1980s, when there was a resurgence of interest in the ancient martial art. The kung fu taught at the Shaolin temples today is a far cry from the traditional martial arts that were practiced by Shaolin monk warriors, who emphasized spirituality and morality as much as physical strength. More students who practice at Shaolin today have aspirations to become kung fu movie stars than studious monks.
The Shaolin Temples have been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times, the most recently in 1928 when the warlord Shi Yousan set the temples on fire, destroying many buildings and important manuscripts. Sights and relics of interest at the Shaolin Temples include a nearby cave where Bodhidharma allegedly sat in meditation for 9 years. You can reach the cave by cable car or stone steps leading from the temple grounds. The temples themselves house impressive murals and ancient stone inscriptions. In the Hall of Wen Shu, there are depressions in the stone floor where the monks stood in the same place and repeatedly practiced their kung fu moves. The Forest of Pagodas is an impressive site where hundreds of stone pagodas were erected in honor of Shaolin monks and where you can observe kung fu students practicing in their orange robes.
When to Go to Shaolin Temple
If you want to avoid crowds, plan to visit outside of the peak tourist times in spring and fall. The weather in central China is relatively mild all year round so you don’t have to worry about extreme heat or cold at any time of year. January is the coldest month with average temperatures of 32F (0C) and July is the hottest month with average temperatures of 80F (27C).
Odds n' Ends
The opening hours for the Shaolin Temples are from 8:10am to 5:30pm year-round and the admission fee is CNY110. Give yourself at least half a day in order to have time to wander the temple grounds and visit nearby attractions such as Bodhidharma’s cave. There is a transport service available but it is recommended that you walk from site to site in order to have time to soak it all in. You can take the transport service on the way back to get to the parking lot. If you want to get lunch, there is a good vegetarian restaurant run by Shaolin nuns on the temple grounds. Avoid the restaurants in the little villages that surround the temple complex because the quality of their food is questionable at best.
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Quanjude Hotel is a 4 star business hotel which is located in the flourishing area in Luoyang. Both the shopping center and scenic area are ... 27 miles away
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Books and DVDs
- Art Of Shaolin Kung Fu (Paperback)
- or scope, the book covers Kung Fu history, styles, basics, the principle of forms and applications (with the five animal form), strategies, weapons, chi and the philosophy of Chinese martial arts.
- Iron Thread. Southern Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu Classics Series (Paperback)
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Elsewhere on the Web
- A Visit to Shaolin Temple - About.com
- Shrouded by the Song Shan mountain range, Shaolin Si or temple looks as if it’s floating as you approach it.
- Shaolin Temples - SacredDestinations.com
- The Shaolin temples (Shàolín Sì) are a group of Chinese Buddhist monasteries in Henan Province famed for their long association with Chán (Zen) Buddhism and martial arts.
- The Shaolin Temples - GEOCites.com
- The ancient Shaolin Temples may be compared to a martial arts university. Each temple had several Shaolin Masters who were experts or specialists in a particular area of training.
- Shaolin Monastery - Wikipedia.org
- The Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Shàolínsì), is a Chan Buddhist temple at Song Shan in Zhengzhou City Henan Province of what is now the People's Republic of China.
Media References
- China's Shaolin Temple installs luxury restrooms - USAToday.com (newspaper)
- The simple life of monks at China's famed Shaolin Temple got an upgrade with the installation of luxury restrooms worth $430,000, state media reported.
- Learning Kung Fu - TransitionsAbroad.com (blog)
- The Shaolin Temple in Henan, China, known in the martial arts world as the birthplace of kung fu and home to the famed “fighting monks,” now welcomes foreigners to train in its martial arts classes.
- Shaolin Temple Journal; Where Zen and Kung Fu Got Off to a Flying Start - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
- As you stroll through the nicely restored Shaolin Monastery complex you are apt to be startled when a teen-age boy in a sweatsuit suddenly thrusts a foot into the sky, or another practices the fine art of hanging from a tree by his toes.
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