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[2025 Dengfeng Attraction] Travel Guide for Songshan Shaolin Scenic (Updated Feb)

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It is said that "all martial arts come from Shaolin". Not to mention the Chinese people who have been deeply influenced by Shaolin Kung Fu since childhood, many international friends will also visit Shaolin Temple when they come to Henan. This is not only a holy place for martial arts, but also the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism. Take a few classic martial arts poses in Shaolin Temple and take a photo, and the swords and swords of the rivers and lakes seem to flash before your eyes.Two keywords about Shaolin Temple1. The ancestor of Zen BuddhismShaolin Temple is a holy place for Buddhism in my country and the ancestral home of "Zen Buddhism" in Chinese Buddhism. In 527 AD, the famous Indian monk Bodhidharma (Dharma Patriarch) sailed to southern China by water, then crossed the Yangtze River to the north and entered the Central Plains. He came to Shaolin, sat in meditation and preached in the area behind the Shaolin Temple, and first advocated the Zen teaching of "imprinting the heart with the heart", and thus established the lofty status of Shaolin Temple as the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism.Today, many tourists come to Shaolin Temple to pray for blessings and peace.2. The Origin of Martial ArtsAfter the "Thirteen Stick Monks Rescued Emperor Li Shimin" in the early Tang Dynasty, Shaolin Temple became famous for its exquisite "Shaolin Kung Fu". Since then, Shaolin monks have practiced martial arts and passed it down from generation to generation. Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu, and Shaolin School is a martial arts school with a wide range, long history and many types of boxing in the martial arts world. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as the "No. 1 School in the World of Martial Arts" in the minds of Chinese people and the Taishan Beidou of the world's martial arts.The Pagoda Forest is the burial place of the abbots of Shaolin Temple for generations. It is quiet and solemn. Perhaps you can find the shadow of the movie "Shaolin Temple" here.Travel TipsHow to play? How long to play? Recommended free travel method:Half-day tour: Shaolin Temple-Pagoda Forest-Chuzu Temple-Dharma Cave-Shaolin Temple Wushu Hall PerformanceThe Shaolin Temple complex mainly consists of three parts: the permanent residence pagoda forest, Chuzu Temple, and Damo Cave. Most tourists who depart from Luoyang or Zhengzhou to Shaolin Temple will choose this route.The layout of Shaolin Temple is a typical Han-style temple style, with a central axis symmetry. After entering the mountain gate, just walk forward. The temple is not big and the tour can be completed in one hour.The Pagoda Forest is located about 400 meters west of Shaolin Temple. It is the cemetery of the Shaolin Temple's successive monks after their death. There is a saying in Buddhism: "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda." The pagoda refers to the pagoda. Here, you can learn about the life stories of the Shaolin Temple's successive monks.Chuzu Temple and Damo Cave are also near Shaolin Temple and can be visited on foot. Chuzu Temple was built by people in the Song Dynasty to commemorate the first ancestor Bodhidharma who faced the wall, and Bodhidharma Cave is where Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years.One-day tour: Shaolin Temple-Pagoda Forest-SanhuangzhaiIn the morning, follow the itinerary of the half-day tour, first visit Shaolin Temple, then go to Pagoda Forest. The "Shaolin Cableway" is about a 5-minute walk from Pagoda Forest. After taking the cableway to Sanhuangzhai Station, walk for about 30 minutes to reach the entrance of Sanhuangzhai Attraction.It takes at least 3-4 hours to visit the Sanhuangzhai Attraction. There are many unique geological landscapes in the Attraction, and the Sanhuangzhai Suspended Plank Road is not to be missed. Walking on the cliff plank road, there are towering cliffs on one side and a thousand-foot cliff on the other side, which is a great test for both body and mind.Two-day tour: Shaolin Temple-Songyang Attraction-Zhongyue AttractionShaolin Temple, Songyang Academy and Zhongyue Songshan are all located in Dengfeng City. Tourists with ample time can buy a Combo Ticket for the three places and visit them in two days. Go to Shaolin Attraction on the first day and watch the live performance of "Zen Shaolin Music Grand Ceremony" in the evening. On the second day, go to Songyang and Zhongyue Attraction, which are far away from the urban area of ​​Dengfeng.Where can I see authentic Shaolin Kung Fu?Nowadays, it is difficult for ordinary tourists to see the Shaolin monks practicing martial arts in Shaolin Temple. However, tourists can use the Shaolin Temple package to go to the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Hall, about 700 meters east of Shaolin Temple, to watch the Shaolin Kung Fu performance.The performance time is about: 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, each performance lasts half an hour.Where to stay? There are some farmhouse hotels and inns Souvenir Shaolin Temple, but the conditions are average. If you are not in a hurry, it is not recommended to stay here. If you want to stay for a day, staying in Dengfeng City is a good choice, and it is convenient to the three major Attraction in Songshan.Is there vegetarian food in Shaolin Temple? Since you are going to visit Shaolin Temple, you should not miss the vegetarian food. The vegetarian restaurant in Shaolin Temple is called "Happy Land", you can try it.Shaolin StoryThe most powerful nail household in history:Speaking of nail households, they are not new. At least in the Tang Dynasty, there was a nail household like Shaolin Temple. The Tang Emperor Li Yuan ordered the demolition but failed to demolish it. After Li Shimin came to power, he not only did not pursue the Shaolin Temple but also gave it a lot of rewards. Compared with the current nail households, Shaolin Temple can be called the most powerful nail household in history.The origin of the matter was a demolition imperial edict issued by Li Yuan, requiring all temples in Henan, including Shaolin Temple, to be demolished.After receiving the edict, hundreds of monks in the Shaolin Temple refused to obey, united as one, and collectively resisted the order. Li Yuan had no choice. After all, the Tang Dynasty had just been established not long ago, and he could not get a reputation of "brutal and inhumane" because of this, so he acquiesced to the "detention" of Shaolin Temple, but took back the 4,000 acres of temple land given to Shaolin Temple by the King of Qin.After Li Shimin became emperor, he granted Shaolin Temple 4,000 acres of land again, allowing Shaolin Temple to train monks, kill and eat meat.There is a "Tang Taizong Granted Shaolin Temple Bishop Stele" in the temple, which records this period of history. You may want to take a look at it when you go to Shaolin Temple.

Address:
Nanyue Mountain, Zhongyue Mountain, Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou City (about 13 kilometers northwest of the city)
Recommended sightseeing time:
2-4 hours
Phone:
0371-62745000,0371-62749300
Ticket Price
From PHP638.98
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