Shaolin - place Shaolin and the environment of the Shaolin temple with tips for training and best choice of your school

<BODY alink="#ff0000" background="" bgcolor="#000000" link="#ff0000" text="#ffffff" vlink="#FCC9C9"> <TABLE border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <TR> <TD valign="top"> <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4>Place Shaolin</H1></FONT></P> </TD> <TD> <P align="right"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG src="../media/cobra.gif" alt= "Shaolin" width="160" height="85"></FONT></P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P><FONT face="Arial">If you start your journey from Zhengzhou/Dengfeng most of the minibuses stop at a small bus station which is at the entrance of Shaolin. On the left side is a new bigger parking lot for modern luxury busses.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt="Stone figur at the entrance of Shaolin" border="0" height="300" hspace="0" src="../media/statue_eingang.jpg" width= "200"></FONT></P> <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="ort">Place Shaolin</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Due to the olympic games in 2008 the chinese government provided a large amount of money for modernization and almost all workings (e.g. a new Expresshighway from Zhengzhou to Shaolin) are finished. So a completly new gigantic entrance aera is presented to the visitor.</P> <P><FONT face="Arial">A long broadly based stone path reaches the first buildings. These buildings are created in old chinese wooden architecture, so there is a lof of place for souvenier shops (90 % of all articles are the same), a reception hall with multimedia equipment and shops for repairing cameras.</P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Souvenir shop" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_souvenir2.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Of course there are several weapon shops, so you can buy "real shaolin" equipment.</P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="weapon shop" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_souvenir1.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Some restaurants offers a wide range of food, so you can relax after your sightseeing tour. Normally the prices are much more higher than other places in china. A lot of wooden corridors provide comfortable places for relaxing.</P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Buildings at the entrance" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_gebaude.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Many chinese students use this stone for a 1 h photo shooting.</P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="stone at the entrance" border="0" height="300" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_stein.jpg" width="200"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">You will find the ticket office at the right side. The entrance fee increased from 40 Yuan to 100 Yuan and is valid for all sightseeing in shaolin (e.g. Shaolin Monastery). Notice: For the cable car you have to pay another 25 Yuan! Cinema, Place of Science and Illusion and the bird park doesn't exist any more.</P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Please walk proudly through the main entrance of Shaolin, the origin of Shaolin Kung Fu.</P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Main entrance of Shaolin" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_haupteingang2.jpg" width="300"></P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Main entrance of Shaolin" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_haupteingang3.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Basically shaolin consist of only one street between the songshan mountain. In Shaolin lived approx. 15.000 people. 14.500 chinese trained <A href= "training.htm#stellenwert" target="haupt">Kung Fu</A> and 500 of them carried on <A href="ortsfuehrung.htm#restaurants">restaurants</A> and <A href= "ortsfuehrung.htm#souvenierstaende">souvenier shops</A> business. After the destruction of almost all schools the number of training students and inhabitans dramitically decreased.</FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="tagou">Tagou School</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Some hundred meters further on the right side you arrive at <A href="schulen.htm#tagou" target="haupt">Tagou school</A> which is also called Shaolin Monastery institute of Wushu, the largest Kung Fu school of China.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Main entrance in Tagou" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/tagou_eingang.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Whether this school remains in Shaolin is not known by now. Many students of tagou moved to the new school building in dengfeng. For each martial arts fan it is a genuine experience to see such a number of Kung Fu pupils training <A href="training.htm#stellenwert" target="haupt">Shaolin Kung Fu</A>.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Biggest Kung Fu School in China" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/tagou.jpg" width="300"></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="strasse">Street to Shaolin Temple</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">After 10 minutes easy walk you will reach shaolin temple. Many of the chinese tourists use the transfer service by electro car but you shouldn't miss the wonderful landscape and the students training shaolin Kung Fu.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Street to Shaolin Temple" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_strasse1.jpg" width="300"></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">The chinese landscape designer worked really good, there are no hints for the old numerous schools, buildings or training fields. Grass and trees at every sight.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><IMG alt="Street to Shaolin Temple" border="0" height="220" hspace="0" src="../media/shaolin_strasse2.jpg" width="300"></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="kasse">The old entrance</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Only the old entrance remind us that many chinese controller checked here for tickets.</P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt="Entrance in Shaolin" border="0" height="213" hspace="0" src="../media/eingang.jpg" width= "300"></FONT></FONT></P>  <P><FONT face="Arial"><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="wushuguan">Wushu Guan</A></H1></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial">100m to the right lies the "Shaolin temple Wushu training center" or "Wushu Guan" and is so far the only hotel (3 stars) in Shaolin.</FONT></FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Stairs to Wushu Guan" border="0" height="185" hspace="0" src= "../media/treppe_wushuguan.jpg" width="300"></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">One huge sign announce "Original Shaolin Kung Fu" performances, which will be offered the whole day. You should visit one of these performances, they are great and shows different style and weapon techniques. The duration is approx. 30 min.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= " huge sign announce "Original Shaolin Kung Fu" performances" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/wushu_guan_plakat.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">If you follow the steps of the oversized stair, you reach an enormous mosaic, which represents the different styles of the <A href="training.htm#stellenwert" target="haupt">Shaolin Kung Fu</A>.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Mosaic in the Wushu Guan" border="0" height="197" hspace="0" src= "../media/mosaic_wushuguan.jpg" width="300"></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">The center of these complex buildings is the generously arranged hall of the Wushu Guan with seats for hundreds of visitors. <A href="training.htm#stellenwert" target="haupt">Kung Fu</A> demonstrations for the <A href="training.htm#auslaender" target="haupt">foreigners</A> take place in regular periods of time.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Multimedia hall in Wushu Guan" border="0" height="300" hspace="0" src= "../media/wushuguan_halle3.jpg" width="200"></FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Multimedia Hall in Wushu Guan" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/wushuguan_halle1.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Behind this hall on the left side is a small training hall, where foreign students will learn shaolin Kung Fu. You should take a short look to get an impression of this "simple" training for foreigners.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">After rebuilding some parts of the wushu guan hotel, the chinese built a bodhidharma statue in the garden of the hotel.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Bodhidharma statue in Wushu Guan" border="0" height="189" hspace="0" src= "../media/wushuguan_statue.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">The Wushu Guan was built especially for foreigners and aligned to their needs. This means that foreigners can learn Shaolin Kung Fu in the Wushu Guan, however everyone must keep in mind that it is impossible to reach maximum skills within 14 days! The learning effect is very small. Training in Wushu Guan was reduced for the foreigners to the half training time (4h) and everyone must pay double price in the attached hotel for accommodation, meal and training (the hotel and the Tagou school possess the only rooms with air conditioning system!). The Wushu Guan is only for competitive athletes, who want it comfortable, the price doesn't matter and who want to receive an "original Shaolin certificate".</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">We've finished half the way to shaolin temple and follow this street.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "street to Shaolin Temple" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/shaolin_strasse4.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Only one small shop offers drinks and food for big money.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt="Shop" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/shaolin_shop1.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P>  <P><FONT face="Arial"><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="shaolinsiwushuxuexiao">Kung Fu school Shao Lin Si Wushu Xue Xiao</A></H1></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">This school was destroyed and now rebuilt in Dengfeng. Now only some small ruins are visible.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "ruins of Kung Fu School Shao Lin Si Wushu Xue Xiao" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/wushuxuexiao_zerstoert.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">After 200 m the road splits. You can use both streets to go to shaolin temple.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Ca. 100m in front of the Shaolin Temple" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/parkplatz.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="shaolinkloster">Shaolin Temple</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">After few meters you finally reach your goal: The Shaolin Temple. Each martial arts fan will immediately be inspired at first sight.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Shaolin Temple" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/shaolin_tempel1.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">The <A href="shaolin_tempel.htm">detailed description</A> of the Shaolin temple with various photos is an absolute must for every martial arts fan.</FONT></P>  <P><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name= "shaolinmonastery">Shaolin Monastery</A></H1></FONT></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">If you leave <A href="ortsfuehrung.htm#shaolinkloster">Shaolin Temple</A> and cross the road, you can visit the Shaolin Monastery. Photographing is strictly forbidden and essentially there are only an enormous amount of statues to visit. After 20 statues it is absolutely boring and you leave this place as fast as possible.</FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name= "bodhidharma">Bodhidharma</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">Behind the <A href="ortsfuehrung.htm#shaolinkloster">Shaolin Temple</A> on the right side of the road some Chinese offer an unusual service. With 15 telescopes you can look at a white <A href="history.htm#bodhidharma" target="haupt">Bodhidharma</A> statue standing on a mountain. Unathletic people have to pay 1 Yuan for the telescope, the other ones climb up the mountain in round about 45 min.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Bodhidharma Statue" border="0" height="300" hspace="0" src="../media/bodhidharma.jpg" width="200"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">But who visits Shaolin only for relaxing? To arrive to the Bodhidharma statue you cross the sand place behind the telescopes and follow a narrow badly paved way. On the right hand you see few buildings of the school of the Shi Yan Lu, in which the foreigners have their accommodation who train in the Shaolin temple. After some hundred meters you reach the stairs and after approximately 1000 endless seeming partly broken steps (thus not completely harmless steps) the Bodhidharma cave appears. An untrained person need approx. 1 hour for the ascent. Each morning during their daily training the Chinese run this distance and need half the time. Before competitions you see thick dressed Chinese with abnormal speed running in the midday heat (approx. 40 degrees Celsius) to the Bodhidharma cave, in order to out-sweat water as much as possible and to be able to fight in a lighter weight class. In front of the Bodhidharma cave Bodhidharma has meditated over nine years sitting watching the wall and so the sun burned his outlines into the stone. This stone can be visited in the Shaolin Temple. Only a few meters to go and you reach the Bodhidharma statue which can be viewed from the far distance. As a tourist you should carry as much drinks as possible, because with increasing height the prices become more and more expensive (no wonder, uh?). However you must consider that every day a few Chinese climb up the top, with kilos of drinks and ice for cooling on their shoulders. At the top the tourist has a fantastic view over Shaolin.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt= "Bodhidharma Statue in Songshan mountain" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src= "../media/aussicht_bodhidharma.jpg" width="300"></FONT></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">The descent is easy so that you reach the road within short time.</FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="flugzeug">Parking lot </A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">After some hundred meters you come to a giant-large parking lot but there is nothing special to see. All historical relicts were removed. .</FONT></P>  <P><FONT face="Arial"><FONT face="Arial"><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name= "pagodenwald">Pagoda Forrest - Shao Lin Ta Lin</A></H1></FONT></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">On the right side you see the Pagoda Forrest (Shao Lin Ta Lin) ,a memorial place for the deceased Shaolin of monks.</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt="Pagoda Forrest - Shao Lin Ta Lin" border="0" height="202" hspace="0" src="../media/pagodenwald.jpg" width="300"></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">This place is one of the few at which the tourist does not have to pay admission fee, because it is forbidden to the monks to require money for the final resting place. The more largely and more highly the pagoden were built, the more highly were the rank of the monk.</FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="seilbahn">Cableway</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">100 meter behind the parking lot a cableway could be recognized by far. For 25 Yuan you can climb up the mountain comfortably by this cableway. Under the cableway the Kung Fu students run by foot and reach the top surprisingly faster than the tourists. At the top there is a small monastery building which offers nothing special. After some minutes you gently slide down with the cableway again.</FONT></P>  <P><H1><FONT face="Arial" size = 4><A name="wulongtan">5 Dragon Lake - Wu Long Tan</A></H1></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">If you follow the road far the tourist crowd you reach some stairs after approximately 20 minutes. 10 minutes later on there are some narrow stairs to the left hand. Follow these stairs and you reach the beautiful Wu Long Tan (5 dragon lake).</FONT></P> <P align="center"><FONT face="Arial"><IMG alt="Wu Long Tan" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="../media/wulongtan1.jpg" width= "300"> </FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial">This quiet paradise invites each Shaolin Kung Fu student to take his own pictures in different kinds of style. Still another tip: When its hot the Wu Long Tan offers a pleasant refreshment, i.e. do not forget your bathing clothes.</FONT></P>  <P><FONT face="Arial">These are the main attractions in <A href="ortsfuehrung.htm#ort">Shaolin</A>. Of course there are a lot of other sights to discover but they must be discovered by yourself.</FONT></P> <P><FONT size="2"><STRONG> <A href="schulen_fr1.htm" target="haupt">Back</A>  <A href="ortsfuehrung.htm">Top</A>  <A href="shaolin_tempel.htm">Next</A> </STRONG></FONT></P> <IMG src="http://www.shaolin-wushu.de/cgi-std/count.pl?c=61" border="0" width="1" height="1">  <table> <tr> <td>  <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a32a34c4feb0d28"></script>  </td> <td>  <script type="text/javascript" src="http://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js">{lang: 'en', parsetags: 'explicit'}</script> <g:plusone size="medium" count="false" href="http://www.shaolin-wushu.de"></g:plusone> <script type="text/javascript">gapi.plusone.go();</script> </td> <td>  <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-471080-1"; urchinTracker(); </script>  </td> </tr> </table> </BODY>