Shaolin Temple
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Monuments Of Dengfeng, 2010); Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area Is A National 5A Tourist Attraction · Dengfeng, Henan
The birthplace of Shaolin kung fu and a cradle of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, founded in 495 at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain in the Song Mountains of Henan. Legend holds that the Indian monk Bodhidharma meditated for nine years in a cave above the temple. The complex of halls, the Pagoda Forest of more than 200 monks' tombs and the daily kung fu demonstrations make it a pilgrimage for martial artists worldwide, and it is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Dengfeng. Dengfeng's surrounding kung fu schools train tens of thousands of students. The temple is about 1.5-2 hours by road from both Zhengzhou and Luoyang.
Shaolin Scenic Area, Songshan, Dengfeng, Dengfeng, Henan, China
Daily, roughly 8:00-17:30 in summer and 8:00-17:00 in winter; last entry about an hour before closing. Kung fu shows run several times daily.