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Shaolin Monastery

Shaolin Monastery (Shaolin si) is to Chinese martial arts (kongfu) what golf is to St. Andrews. The Monastery was built, in 495 AD, on the Shaoshi Peak (Shaoshi feng) from whence it took its name. Many legends ascribe different stories to the founding of the ancient site, but the Chinese follow the story that it was built by Emperor Xiawen of the Northern Wei Dynasty to accommodate an eminent Indian monk, Bodhidharma, alleged founder of the Chan (Zen) sect of Buddhism. In later years, another accomplished monk, and a disciple of the 29th generation of Sakimonia, made a long trek, via the capital in Nanjing, to preach here, thus securing the monastery as a cradle of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, as well as Mecca for believers.

It is said that Kungfu was created because the monks of the monastery had little to do beyond long spells in contemplation of the meaning of life and the universe. To relieve themselves of the great monotony of daily life, the monks imitated the movements of various different animals, gradually developing this imitation into a unique martial art. Thus was formed the first ever Chinese monk army, that was to give the monastery both fame and misfortune for many years. Shaolin became well known as a righteous brotherhood, that often meddled with "earthly matters", normally uprisings, always siding with the just, weak or poor (and normally all three). Despite the monks fighting prowess the monastery was destroyed many times over the years.

Today much of the kung fu that is known in the west accredits its origins in this small mountainous region of China. Unfortunately nowadays much of the spiritual side of the Shaolin art has been lost, as the monastery aspires to life in a modern, money making society. Pilgrims who come here may be disappointed by what they find: those paying the monastery a visit, will discover that the local folks depend heavily on the monastery for a living - the route that goes uphill are lines with numerous stalls selling local snack food, ice-creams and shoddy souvenirs. Thousands of students, mainly local, come here after quitting school, to enroll in the kungfu academy.

The Grand Hall (Daxiang baodian) is the centerpiece of the entire monastery proper, which has undergone several renovations, the latest being in 1986. In the midst of the hall is the venerable statue of Sakimonia, above which is the imperial calligraphy written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). On both sides of the Grand Hall are two towers, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, the former striking at 5am and the latter at 5pm, signaling the beginning and the conclusion of daily life. The Thousand Buddha Hall is the largest one in the monastery, which houses a big Buddhist figure in the center and colorful murals bearing the 500 Arhats on the eastern, western and northern walls. What truly fascinates visitors most are the 48 deep depressed footprints, which are said to have been left by the monks practising kongfu.

The monastery still boasts a sizable collection of cultural relics, including over 400 pieces of stone carvings from the Northern Qi Dynasty, more than 250 dagobas dated back as far as the Tang Dynasty and 500 murals painted in the Ming Dynasty. It is advised that you go to the monastery on a weekday, when fewer visitors are expected and when you will stand a better chance of watching the practicing, or even performing, monks.