The 'Number One Famous Temple under Heaven' - Shaolin Temple

The ancient Shaolin, a home of Zen, where the remnants of the practice grounds are shrouded in misty peaks. The mountain shades the stone base as the slanting sun rises early, the clouds obstruct the bell sounds emerging from the deep valley. Barefoot, traversing the pass to heaven, so vast and boundless, for nine years facing the wall, the sea deep and profound. To know if the descendants can transmit the Dharma, the cypress trees still reflect the saintly emperor's heart. —— 'Poem of Shaolin Temple' Song Dynasty, Li Qi It's rare to have the Spring Festival holiday, and unforgettable is the trip to Henan. The second tourist attraction I visited in Zhengzhou was the 'Shaolin Temple', which is definitely a must-visit spot in Henan. Shaolin Temple became globally famous due to a movie of the same name, and it is known to all. Shaolin Temple is located on Mount Song in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China. It was founded in the 19th year of the Taihe era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (495 AD) by Emperor Xiaowen to accommodate the Indian monk Batuo who came to preach. It is named 'Shaolin Temple' because it is situated in the dense forest of the Shaoshi Mountain in the hinterland of Mount Song. Shaolin Temple is not only the birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism but also the origin of Chinese Kung Fu, known as the 'Ancestral Court of Chan Buddhism and the Holy Land of Kung Fu', and is acclaimed as the 'Number One Famous Temple under Heaven'. It is renowned worldwide for the Shaolin Kung Fu, which has been diligently researched, created, and developed by generations of Shaolin monks, hence the saying 'All martial arts under heaven arose from Shaolin, and Shaolin martial arts are the best under heaven'. Moreover, the story of the thirteen Shaolin monks who saved the Tang emperor in the early Tang Dynasty is well-known and worth seeing! Because it was the Spring Festival travel season, there were really too many tourists, and many wonderful sights were missed. The commercialization of Shaolin Temple was even more astonishing; entering the temple, there were recruitment brochures for martial arts schools, stalls selling various cultural and religious items, fortune-telling services, and even monks charging 5 yuan for martial arts performances (in addition to the entrance ticket). I will not comment on this, but I just hope that such a great historical and cultural monument and creative tourism resource will not be destroyed by short-term greed. I say this because I like this place and sincerely hope it will get even better!