Live Your Best Lives
"I have a dream in my heart, which is to go to Songshan Shaolin to learn martial arts, be a hero and fight for justice, and climb walls and fly over rooftops."
Shaolin Kung Fu is famous throughout the ages, and stories such as the Thirteen Monks Saving the Emperor of Tang have made Shaolin Temple a place that upholds justice and protects the country and the people. There has never been a shortage of legends about the Shaolin Temple in the world, just as there has never been a shortage of beautiful scenery at Mount Song, the Central Peak where the Shaolin Temple is located.
Songshancheck the details
Mount Song, located in western Henan Province, is one of my country's Five Great Mountains. Its mountains and rivers intertwine, imbued with a vibrant and spiritual charm by a multitude of springs, streams flowing into pools, and the towering Luya Waterfall. The Shaolin River divides the mountain into Taishishan and Shaoshishan. While the Shaolin Temple complex is undoubtedly Songshan's most recognizable landmark, the mountain also boasts numerous ancient sites and monuments, including the Zhongyue Temple, a symbol of Taoism, and the Songyang Academy, a symbol of Confucianism.
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"Song is the highest mountain, its peak reaching the sky." This is how the Book of Songs describes Mount Song. Mount Song, the Central Peak among the Five Great Mountains, is located in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. It comprises Mount Shaoshi (Shaolin Temple, the Forest of Pagodas, and the Three Emperors' Fortress) and Mount Taishi (Zhongyue Scenic Area, Songyang Academy, and Zhongyue Temple). With a total area of approximately 450 square kilometers, the mountain's lowest point rises to 350 meters and its highest point reaches 1,512 meters. The Shaolin River marks the central boundary of Mount Song, with Mount Taishi to the east and Mount Shaoshi to the west.
Songshan Mountain is located between Luoyang and Zhengzhou. Getting there from either city is relatively easy, with a drive of about 1.5 hours and a taxi fare of around 250-300 RMB. Next, we'll discuss public transportation options, including how to get there from Luoyang and Zhengzhou.
(1) Zhengzhou
① Directly from Zhengzhou to Shaolin Temple
Take a bus from Zhengzhou Long-Distance Bus Center Station (opposite Zhengzhou Railway Station) directly to Shaolin Temple
② Take a bus from Zhengzhou Bus Station to Dengfeng, and then take a taxi or bus from Dengfeng City: Buy a ticket at "Zhengzhou Bus Station" and take a bus to "Dengfeng Bus Terminal". After exiting the station, wait on the roadside for Bus No. 8 (this bus goes directly to the gate of Shaolin Temple) to Shaolin Temple (14 kilometers). The ticket price is 5 yuan, and the taxi fare is about 30 yuan.
Tips:
①Zhengzhou = Zhengzhou Railway Station = Zhengzhou Central Station
②Zhengzhou Main Station = Hanghai Road Station
③Zhengzhou East Station = High-speed Railway Station = Hub Station
④Zhengzhou North Station = North Passenger Station
(2) Luoyang
① Tourist line from Luoyang to Shaolin Temple
Take a bus from Luoyang Bus Station (opposite Luoyang Railway Station) directly to Shaolin Temple
②Take a bus from Luoyang to Dengfeng, and then take a taxi or bus from Dengfeng city.
Shaolin Temple is the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism in Chinese Buddhism. It occupies an important position in the history of Chinese Buddhism and is known as "the most famous temple in the world."
Shaolin Kung Fu is famous throughout the world because of the painstaking research and continuous development of Shaolin monks from generation to generation. There is a saying that "Shaolin Kung Fu comes from all over the world, and Shaolin Kung Fu is the best in the world."
The Shaolin Temple scenic area includes the Permanent Residence, Pagoda Forest, Martial Arts Hall, Three Emperors Village, Bodhidharma Cave and other attractions; among them, the Three Emperors Village has the best natural scenery.
(Book Cliff in Sanhuangzhai, a very rare landform)
(Sanhuangzhai)
(regular hospitalization)
(Tallinn)
Every November, the thousand-year-old ginkgo trees in Shaolin Temple become a painting.
(Shaolin Ginkgo)
① Sanhuangzhai-Shaolin Temple
It takes about 3 hours for an average young or middle-aged person to walk from the entrance of Sanhuangzhai through Sanhuangzhai (Songshan Zen Temple), and then along the suspended plank road to the cable car station leading to Shaolin Temple. There is no cable car on this section of the route. You have to walk through Sanhuangzhai and the Liantian Suspension Bridge, and then through Shuce Cliff to reach the cable car station leading to Shaolin Temple. It takes about 1.5 hours to walk from the cable car station to Shaolin Temple.
You can also take the cable car to Shaolin Temple for 50 yuan. The Shaolin Temple tour takes about 1-2 hours, and the total tour takes about 6-8 hours.
②Shaolin Temple-Sanhuangzhai-Shaolin Temple
It takes about 1-2 hours to visit Shaolin Temple. If you don't take the cable car, the total walking time is about 8-10 hours. If you take the cable car up and down, the total time is about 6-8 hours (including the temple tour and the Kung Fu performance). If you take the cable car up and down and just want to see Shuce Cliff and Sanhuangzhai, it will take about 1 hour.
③Shaolin Temple-Sanhuangzhai
A tour of Shaolin Temple takes approximately 1-2 hours. The hike from Shaolin Temple to the cable car station takes about 2-3 hours, and from there to Sanhuangzhai (Songshan Zen Monastery) for about 2 hours. The hike from Sanhuangzhai (Songshan Zen Monastery) to the Sanhuangzhai scenic area exit takes about 2 hours, for a total of about 6-8 hours. (It is not recommended to exit the Sanhuangzhai scenic area after visiting Shaolin Temple. Access is difficult, and you will have to take a taxi from a local local at the entrance, which can be difficult to negotiate.)
Note: Shaolin Temple - Bodhidharma Cave - Five Breast Peak
The scenery along this route is average. If you are pressed for time or lack physical strength, it is recommended that you give up the tour. This branch scenic route does not lead to any scenic spot and the round trip takes about 1-2 hours.
(Specific time required for climbing Sanhuangzhai)
Tips:
1. Shaolin Temple Ticket: 80 yuan
Shaolin Temple electric car: 15 yuan one way, 25 yuan round trip
Sanhuangzhai Cableway: 100 yuan round trip
2. Shaolin Temple Ginkgo: November and mid-November are the best viewing periods.
3. Shaolin Temple Must-Experiences: Watch a Kung Fu Show (Summer Shows: 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM, every half hour, ticket required); Climb the Three Emperors Village on the back mountain (optional: cable car or hiking)
Mount Taishi includes the Zhongyue Scenic Area, Songyang Academy, and Zhongyue Temple. The Zhongyue Songshan we often refer to is the Zhongyue Scenic Area; Songyang Academy is the representative of Confucianism, and Zhongyue Temple inherits Taoist culture.
(Taishu Mountain)
(Songyang Academy: a representative of Confucianism)
(Zhongyue Temple, the inheritance of Taoism)
1. Entrance to Zhongyue Scenic Area:
① From the east entrance of Songyang Academy, pass Laomu Cave and Junji Palace to Junji Peak.
② From the west entrance of Songyang Academy, pass Songyue Temple Pagoda and Fawang Temple to Junji Peak. From this entrance, you can take a bus to Fawang Temple or Laomu Cave.
③ From the Luya Waterfall entrance, pass Luya Waterfall and Yixiantian to Junji Peak.
All three entrances are interconnected; any one can access the other two. Tickets are all valid for 50 yuan.
(East entrance of Songyang Academy)
2. Tour duration:
Normal young and middle-aged tourists, walking, stopping, taking photos and having fun, take about three and a half hours to hike from the east entrance of Songyang Academy to Junji Peak, and about another three and a half hours to cross Junji Peak to the exit of Luya Waterfall.
Tips:
Zhongyue Scenic Area: 50 yuan, including Luya Waterfall Scenic Area (the two scenic areas are interconnected), no cable car
Songyang Academy: 30 yuan, about 30-50 minutes
Zhongyue Temple: 30 yuan, about 30-50 minutes
The Shaotai Crossing is a route that crosses from Shaoshi Mountain to Taishi Mountain. The normal route is from the Sanhuangzhai entrance to the Shaolin Temple scenic area and then to the Zhongyue Scenic Area. The entire journey is about 30km and takes about 14 hours. The single-day crossing is quite intensive. Alternatively, you can choose to stay overnight in Dengfeng City or the Shaolin Temple scenic area.
There is only one accommodation in the Shaolin Temple scenic area. The overall facilities are relatively old-fashioned, but the location is excellent.
If you do not choose to stay in the scenic area, you can also choose to stay at the foot of Shaolin Temple or in Dengfeng city.
China has three mountains and five peaks, but the fame of the Central Peak, Songshan, seems to have always been overshadowed by the Shaolin Temple; if you go to Dengfeng, be sure to appreciate the beauty of Songshan.
