Shaolin Monastery and Mount Song

Background

Shaolin Monastery stands in Dengfeng, Henan, at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain in the Mount Song range, below the Five Breasts Peak. Within are halls such as the Heavenly Kings Hall and the Mahavira Hall, as well as the Pagoda Forest of tomb stupas of monks through the ages; the monastic life of morning bells and evening drums and the martial monks' performances draw visitors from everywhere. Shaolin Monastery was built in the twentieth year of the Taihe era of the Northern Wei (495 CE), and its first abbot, Batuo, was known for translating sutras and teaching the dharma. In the early Tang, thirteen monks gave valuable help to Li Shimin, which made the monastery famous, and after the Tang it became an important Chan Buddhist seat. Since before the Qin, Mount Song has been regarded as the Central Peak of the Five Great Mountains, and is said to be the "Centre of Heaven and Earth". The range stretches about 100 kilometres from east to west and is divided by a central valley into Shaoshi Mountain to the west and Taishi Mountain to the east; its highest peak, Liantian Peak, rises 1512 metres above sea level. The "Centre of Heaven and Earth" historic monuments around Dengfeng were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010. Bodhidharma facing a wall for nine years and Huike cutting off his arm to seek the dharma belong to Chan legend; the claim that Bodhidharma founded Shaolin martial arts only became popular in the 20th century, traceable to the 17th-century qigong manual Yijin Jing, and is not part of the monastery's early history.

Local customs

• Visit the halls along the central axis of Shaolin Monastery and the Pagoda Forest
• watch the martial monks' martial-arts performance
• climb Shaoshi Mountain or Taishi Mountain of Mount Song and look out over the Dengfeng area
• also visit the Songyang Academy, Zhongyue Temple and other "Centre of Heaven and Earth" buildings.

Travel tips

• Monastery and scenic-area tickets and martial-arts performance times are subject to official announcements. Hiking takes stamina, so bring water and sun protection
• holidays are crowded, so arrive early.
• From Zhengzhou or Luoyang you can take a long-distance bus to Dengfeng, then transfer to the Shaolin Monastery scenic area
• scenic-area shuttles link the sights of Mount Song, with schedules subject to official announcements. The area is open all year, and spring and autumn are best for hiking
• summer is rainy, so watch for slippery mountain paths
• in winter the summits are windy and cold, so dress warmly.