Henan Shaolin Temple
- Chinese name: 少林寺
- Location: Northwest of Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province 河南省郑州市登封市区西北部
- Climate conditions: temperate monsoon climate
- Opening hours: open from 08:00 to 16:30 (stop entering the park at 16:30)
- Attraction level: National AAAAA level
- Ticket price for tourist attractions: 80 yuan (adjusted in September 2018)
- Area: about 57,600 square meters (often hospitalized)
- Famous scenic spots: Changyuan Hospital, Chuzu Temple, Pagoda Forest, Daxiong Hall, Cangjing Pavilion, Bodhidharma Cave, Arhat Hall, Shifang Temple, Shaolin Yonghua Hall
- Founding Year: 495
- Sect: Zen
- Status: Ancestral home of Zen Buddhism
- Founding Dynasty: Northern Wei Dynasty
- Protection level: world cultural heritage
- Protection level: national key cultural relics protection unit
- Suggested play time: 2 days
- Suitable seasons: suitable for all seasons, best in spring and autumn
- Current abbot: Shi Yongxin
- Tel: 0371-62745599;0371-62745000
Henan Shaolin Temple
Shaolin Temple belongs to the foot of Wuru Peak of Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. It is named “Shaolin Temple” because it is located in the dense jungle of Shaoshi Mountain in the hinterland of Songshan Mountain. Shaolin Temple is not only the birthplace of Zen, but also the birthplace of Chinese Kungfu, known as “the ancestral home of Zen and the Holy Land of Kungfu”. It is a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural relic protection unit, and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.
History background
Shaolin Temple was first built in the 19th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (495), a temple built by Emperor Xiaowen in order to settle the Indian eminent monk Ba Tuo to preach and preach. Because it was built in the dense jungle at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain, it was named Shaolin .
quo status
The permanent hospital of Shaolin Temple covers an area of about 57,600 square meters. The current abbot is Shi Yongxin, the 47th and 33rd descendant of Caodong Authentic Sect.
Buddhist temple
Shaolin Temple is a world-famous Buddhist temple and the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism in Chinese Buddhism. It occupies an important position in the history of Chinese Buddhism and is known as “the most famous temple in the world”. Shaolin Kungfu is famous all over the world because of its painstaking research, creation and continuous development by Shaolin monks of all ages.
world cultural heritage
In August 2010, the historical buildings in heaven and earth, including Shaolin Temple’s permanent residence, Chuzu Temple, and Pagoda Forest, were listed as world cultural heritage by UNESCO
The ancestor of Zen
Shaolin Temple is a sacred place of Buddhism in my country and the ancestral home of the “Zen” of Chinese Buddhism. In 527 A.D., the famous Indian monk Bodhidharma (Dharma Patriarch) sailed to the south of China by water, and then crossed the Yangtze River north into the Central Plains, and came to Shaolin. teaching method, and thus established the lofty status of the ancestral court of Zen Buddhism in Shaolin Temple.
Nowadays, many tourists come to Shaolin Temple to worship Buddha and pray for safety.
The source of martial arts
After the “thirteen stick monks rescued Li Shimin” in the early Tang Dynasty, Shaolin Temple became famous all over the world for its exquisite “Shaolin Kung Fu”. Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Shaolin Kungfu, and Shaolin School is a martial arts school with a wide range of martial arts, a long history, and many types of boxing.
The Tallinn is the burial place of the abbots and monks of the Shaolin Temple. It is quiet and solemn. Maybe you can find the shadow of the movie “Shaolin Temple” here.
Foreign exchange
The cultural exchanges between Shaolin Temple and the rest of the world are constantly improving in terms of size, scale, frequency and scope. From European and American dancers, world muay thai champions, NBA stars, and Hollywood movie stars to visit, to the eminent monks from traditional Buddhist countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Gustav, Queen Elizabeth II of England, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, former Australian Prime Minister Howard, former South African President Nelson Mandela and many other dignitaries met with the abbot of Shaolin Temple, and Russian President Putin, former US Secretary of State Keith The personal visits of Singh, Taiwan Provincial politicians James Soong, Lien Chan and Wu Boxiong, former International Olympic Committee President Rogge and others have further proved and highlighted the extraordinary and extensive influence of Shaolin Temple.
In 2004, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the California State of the United States voted twice to establish March 21 as the “Songshan Shaolin Temple Day in California” and became a holiday established by the California Assembly in the form of legislation. Shaolin Temple has not only established more than 40 overseas cultural institutions in dozens of countries around the world, radiating more than 300 cities around the world. Shaolin monks lecture scriptures and Dharma, practice martial arts and practice Zen in these Shaolin cultural centers. Shaolin Temple also holds Shaolin Cultural Festivals in Europe and North America. , to convey the spiritual connotation of Chinese culture and oriental values to mainstream societies around the world through various means.
On March 20, 2016, in order to celebrate the “Songshan Shaolin Temple Day” in California, USA, the Shaolin Kung Fu Zen Academy in Los Angeles, USA held a variety of celebration activities with local believers, students and parents in Thomas Burton Park to celebrate this “Shaolin Temple” named statutory holiday
Henan Shaolin Temple Tourist Attractions
Shaolin Temple 少林寺
It was built in the 19th year of Emperor Xiaowen Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 495). It was named after the dense jungle at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain. temple. Shaolin Temple covers an area of about 36,000 square meters. There are seven courtyards on the central axis of the permanent hospital. There are many buildings from Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties preserved in the temple.
Talin （塔林） The pagoda forest
The pagoda forest is the cemetery of the abbots of the past dynasties. The shapes of the pagodas are different. The round ones are for monks, the square ones are for civil monks, and the square and round ones are for both civil and martial arts.
The Pagoda Forest of Shaolin Temple is located 300 meters west of Shaolin Temple, covering an area of more than 14,000 square meters. Because of the many pagodas, varying in size, height, thickness, shape, and scattered arrangement, it looks like a lush forest, so it is called “Pagoda Forest”. “It is the largest and most numerous ancient pagoda complex in my country. The Tallinn is a collection of ancient masonry architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, and painting art, and is known as the “Ancient Pagoda Art Museum” by experts and scholars.
sanhuangzhai 三黄寨
It is a natural cottage hanging on the mountainside of Shaoshi. The entire scenic spot is steep and slippery, with a flat and wide top. It has the characteristics of the majesty of Mount Tai, the danger of Huashan, the wonder of Beiheng, and the beauty of Nanheng.
Sanhuangzhai needs to take the cableway up. In winter, it is really recommended to take the 100/person cableway, but the 60/person cableway is really too cold!
Don’t buy a round-trip cableway, one-way is fine.
Second Ancestor Temple 二祖庙
Covering an area of more than 3,000 square meters, it is a nunnery built in the Song Dynasty to commemorate Bodhidharma, the first ancestor of Zen Buddhism, who faced the wall and sought the Dharma. The main buildings on the central axis of Chuzu Temple include the mountain gate, the main hall and the Thousand-Buddha Pavilion. The main hall is one of the oldest and most valuable wooden structures in Henan, and has extremely high research value in architecture.
Henan Shaolin Temple Video
Henan Shaolin Temple Tourist Map
Things To Do
The martial arts performance at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan
The martial arts performance hall
There are free martial arts performances in the martial arts hall every day (entrance ticket is required), each performance lasts half an hour, it is hard Shaolin Kung Fu, it is very worth seeing.
Performance time: Every half hour in the morning: 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 and the whole afternoon: 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, there will be outdoor performances at the same time when there are many tourists in peak season. You can choose to watch when you enter Shaolin or when you leave Shaolin according to your own tour time
Henan Songshan Shaolin Temple Tour Transfer: Car Rental with Driver
- Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport ⇄ Songshan Shaolin Temple
- Luoyang(Longmen Grottoes) ⇄ Songshan Shaolin Temple
- Xi’an ⇄ Songshan Shaolin Temple
- Yuntaishan Mountain,Jiaozuo ⇄ Songshan Shaolin Temple
- ……
Henan Shaolin Temple Travel Guide
Shaolin Temple is not only the holy land of martial arts in the world, but also the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism. Put a few classic martial arts poses in Shaolin Temple to take a picture, and the swords and swords of the rivers and lakes seem to flash before your eyes.
Where should I live?
There are some farm hotels and inns around Shaolin Temple, but the conditions are average. If you are not in a hurry, it is not recommended to live here. If you want to stay for a day, living in the urban area of Dengfeng is a good choice. It is more convenient to go to the three major scenic spots of Songshan.
Is there any vegetarian food in Shaolin Temple?
Since you want to visit the Shaolin Temple, Su Zhai is naturally not to be missed. The vegetarian restaurant in Shaolin Temple is called “Huanxidi”（欢喜地）, you can try it
Best route:
Shaolin Temple Parking Lot→Gate→Martial Arts Hall→Shaolin Temple→Talin→Sanhuangzhai/Dharma Cave→Back
少林寺停车场→大门→武术馆→少林寺→塔林→三黄寨/达摩洞→
Tour Route:
Half-day tour: Shaolin Temple – Pagoda Forest – Chuzu Temple – Bodhidharma Cave – Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Hall Performance
The Shaolin Temple complex mainly includes three parts: the Pagoda Forest, the Chuzu Temple, and the Bodhidharma Cave. Most tourists who go to Shaolin Temple from Luoyang or Zhengzhou will choose this route.
The layout of Shaolin Temple is a typical Han temple style, with a symmetrical central axis. After entering the mountain gate, you can walk all the way forward. The temple is not big, and you can finish the tour in an hour.
Pagoda Forest is located about 400 meters west of Shaolin Temple, and it is the cemetery of the eminent monks of Shaolin Temple after their death. There is a saying in Buddhism: “Saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda.” The pagoda refers to the pagoda. Here, you can learn about the lives of the eminent monks of the Shaolin Temple.
Chuzu Temple and Bodhidharma Cave are also near Shaolin Temple, just a short walk away. Chuzu Nunnery was built by people in the Song Dynasty to commemorate Bodhidharma’s facing the wall, and the Bodhidharma Cave is the place where Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years.
One-day tour: Shaolin Temple – Talin – Sanhuangzhai
In the morning, according to the itinerary of the half-day tour, first visit the Shaolin Temple, and then go to the Tallinn. The place about 5 minutes walking distance from the Tallinn is the “Shaolin Cableway”. After taking the cableway to Sanhuangzhai Station, walk for about 30 minutes to reach the entrance of Sanhuangzhai Scenic Area.
It takes at least 3-4 hours to visit the Sanhuangzhai Scenic Area. There are many peculiar geological landscapes in the scenic area, and the suspended plank road of Sanhuangzhai is not to be missed. Walking on the cliff path, with towering cliffs on one side and cliffs on the other, is a great physical and mental test.
