Monastery of Shaolin
The Monastery of Shaolin, which was built in 495 on the western slopes of Songshan, is the birthplace of Chan Buddhism, which was founded by the Indian monk Bodhidharma (Damo) at the beginning of the 6th C. Being very weakened bodily as a result of long phases of meditation, he thought up with his disciples a series of exercises which were designed to restore strength and mobility to the body.
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It was this which led to the famous boxing school of Shaolin (Shaolin Quan), which is still practiced today by countless Buddhists and non-Buddhists in its later form, Kungfu. Under both the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the 14th to the early 20th C, the monastery was almost completely rebuilt. The inscription ''Shaolin Si'' over the door of the main entrance dates from the time of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1723).
Related Attractions
Pagoda Wood
A few hundred meters to the west of the monastery begins the Pagoda Wood (Talin), in which more than 220 burial pagodas stand in close proximity one to another. Between 791 and 1803 the most famous abbots and monks of the monastery were buried here.
Palace of the Martial Arts
The Palace of the Martial Arts was opened in the monastery of Shaolin in 1988. It is a training center where followers of Shaolin boxing or Kungfu can attend courses (Length: 7 days to 1 year). In addition instruction in Buddhism, traditional Chinese arts of healing and the Chinese language are also given. The courses are also open to foreigners. Martial arts contests are also performed in public.
Thousand Buddha Hall
Thousand Buddha Hall (Qiabfo Dian), one of the main buildings of the monastery, is decorated by a 300sq.m/3225sq.ft Ming period (1368-1644) wall painting, on which 500 Luohans are depicted rendering homage to Vairocana. The hollows in the ground are thought to stem from centuries of practice of Shaolin martial arts.
