Shaolin Temple in Henan Province

4. Da Mo Cave

In the early sixth century, a monk from India named Da Mo arrived at Shaolin, where he founded Chan Buddhism. Da Mo founded the system of hand-to-hand combat known as Kung Fu (wushi). This is Da Mo Cave at the Shaolin Monastery. It is just a short walk to this cave. It is quite old as is most everything here. This place started when the Chinese were forbidden to have and carry arms to protect themselves.

Shaolin Monastery

South of Luoyang and Zhengzhou, nestled in the foothills of Song Shan, lies the Shaolin Monastery. According to a 1,000-year-old tradition, it was at Shaolin that the founder of Zen Buddhism, the 6th-century monk Boddhidharma, preached and meditated until his death. The monastery grew larger and richer during the Sui, Tang and later dynasties. Its monks, threatened by bandits and other enemies, developed a system of self-defense that became known throughout the world as kung fu. The tradition of meditation and martial arts has continued; at this writing, it is being forwarded by nine aged monks and three young novices. A recent film based on the monastery inspired hundreds of young Chinese to apply there for kung fu training, but all were predictably turned away.