Overview
Chinese Name: 少林风景区
English Name: Shaolin Scenic Area; Shaolin Scenic Songshan Scenic; Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area
Location: Henan
Type: Ancient culture and art
Rating Level: AAAAA (5A)
Brief Introduction
Shaolin Scenic Area is located in Dengfeng City 登封市, Henan Province 河南省. Songshan Mountain is composed of Taishi Mountain 太室山 (1494 meters above sea level) and Shaoshi Mountain 少室山 (1512 meters above sea level). It stands majestically in the Central Plains, with towering peaks and overlapping peaks.
Located between the ancient capitals of Bianliang 汴梁(now we call this city Kaifeng 开封) and Luoyang 洛阳, it has been a gathering place of literati since ancient times and has left a large number of places of interest and historical interest to emperors, generals, scholars, eminent monks, Taoist priests, and martial arts heroes.
Songshan Shaolin Temple was founded in the 19th year of Taihe太和 in the Northern Wei Dynasty 北魏 (495 AD). Emperor Xiaowen 孝文帝 built Shaolin Temple at the north foot of Shaoshi Mountain in Song Mountain in order to accommodate the Indian monk Batuo 跋陀 whom he admired. Batuo has two outstanding disciples. One is Huiguang 慧光, a great master of law 律学; The other is Sengchou 僧稠, known as “east of Congling Mountain 葱岭, the most Zen 禅学.”
On August 17, 2007, Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area was selected as one of the first national 5A scenic spots.
From September 20, 2018, the ticket price of Songshan Shaolin Temple scenic spot has been reduced from 100 yuan per person time to 80 yuan per person time.
What are worth visiting and seeing？
History of Shaolin
At the end of the Sui Dynasty (618), the imperial court lost its power, and the world was in chaos. The Shaolin Temple, with its huge temple property, became the target of mountain bandits. “The monks and disciples refused, and the pagoda was burned.”. In order to protect the temple property, Shaolin monks organized armed forces to fight against mountain bandits. Shaolin Kung Fu, as the armed force of Shaolin Temple, has taken shape.
During the Tang Dynasty 唐朝, Shaolin Temple was an important Buddhist town at that time. In the first year of Hongdao in the Tang Dynasty (683 years), the important leader of the Dharma Zen Sect, Buddhist Master Faru 法如禅师, was stationed in Shaolin Temple in Wuxi and died in Shaolin Temple six years later.
The Ming Dynasty 明代 was founded in the war of the Han people against the Mongols 蒙人. Therefore, in the cold weapon era of the Ming Dynasty, folk martial arts was prevailing. This is a great environment for Shaolin Kung Fu to improve its level and form its system and sects. The nearly three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty witnessed the great development of Shaolin Kung Fu and martial arts.
Shaolin monks have been recruited by the imperial court at least six times to participate in official war activities, have made many achievements, have been praised by the imperial court many times, and have built temples on the stele of Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Kung Fu has also been tested in actual combat. Shaolin Kung Fu is famous and has established its authoritative position in the national martial arts world.
Attractions
Shaolin Temple 少林寺 is the birthplace of Shaolin martial arts, which is also recognized as the authentic school of Chinese martial arts. The constant hospitalization of Shaolin Scenic Area is the core of the Shaolin Temple and the place where monks and deacons conduct Buddhist activities, with a total area of more than 30000 square meters. Shaolin Temple is also very famous for its inscriptions. There are many inscriptions on both sides of the mountain gate corridor, called Shaolin Temple Forest of Steles. These are famous original inscriptions since the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Tallinn 塔林 is located about 300 meters west of Shaolin Scenic Area, covering an area of more than 14000 square meters. There are 248 pagodas in the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is the largest existing ancient pagoda group in China. The pagodas are scattered like forests, so they are called Tallinn. The Pagoda Forest is the tomb of the abbot of the Shaolin Temple and the accomplished and contributed monks. There are 232 tombs in Tallinn since Sui Dynasty.
Songshan Academy 嵩山书院 is located at the south foot of Songshan Mountain 嵩山, Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, at the foot of Taishi Mountain. It is named because it is located in the sun of Songshan Mountain. Here, the mountains are surrounded by arches, the streams are flowing, the pines and cypresses are towering in the sky, and it is elegant and quiet. In Chinese history, Songyang Academy is famous for its Confucianism, its culture, and its cultural relics.
Martial arts performance staged at Shaolin Temple scenic area in Henan, China
You might be interested in: