Shaolin Temple

Birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Chinese martial arts. Active monastery and martial arts school 70 km east of Luoyang at Mt Song.

Shaolin Temple was founded in 495 CE on the foothills of Mt Song. Bodhidharma, the Indian monk credited as founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, traditionally meditated for nine years in a cave above the temple in the 6th century. The temple's martial-arts tradition, dating from the same period, is now world-known and has commercialised heavily — the surrounding area is full of martial-arts schools enrolling Chinese and international students. Visitors see the monastery, watch a daily kung-fu demonstration, and can climb up to the Pagoda Forest (the cemetery of past abbots).