How To Visit Shaolin Temple - Birthplace of Kung Fu

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On day 7 in our journey to the Terracotta Warriors, we finally leave Shanghai and fly up to the city of Luoyang. This leg of the trip I organized with our private guide Lisa and we start things off with a little kung fu.

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Here's what we're covering:

Departing Shanghai
Town of Dengfeng
Early Check In
Shaolin Temple
Where To Stay near Shaolin Temple
Lost in translation

Departing Shanghai

Inside the new Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai that's mainly used for domestic flying. — Inside the new Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai that’s mainly used for domestic flying.

Town of Dengfeng

After getting picked up by Lisa and Mr. Zheng, we drove from Luoyang to Dengfeng. We ate at this surprisingly good vegetarian restaurant for 40RMB a head.

Those look like sausages but they're actually made out of some sort of tofu. — Those look like sausages but they’re actually made out of some sort of tofu.

The lovely courtyard of the vegetarian restaurant we ate at. Purely designed for tourists but nonetheless done very well.

Early Check In

Our early check in at Shaoshi Shanzhai Inn & Hotel was met with confusion as the lady working the desk didn’t know how to use the computer to check our Agoda hotel booking. She gave us the keys eventually.

Shaolin Temple

Right after we got dropped off at the entrance, we were graced with this spectacular view even despite the rain.

This is one of the oldest and largest Shaolin Kung Fu schools in the area with 30,000 students here.

Sure it's all a modern made visitor center but still wowed at the scenery. — Sure it’s all a modern made visitor center but still wowed at the scenery.

The rainy day provided a ton of dramatic shots of the mountain like this

One of the oldest and largest Shaolin Kung Fu schools in the area with 30,000 students here. The kids are put to work after the rain, pushing the water into the sewer drain. — The kids are put to work after the rain, pushing the water into the sewer drain.

Shaolin Temple Theater

The theater for the 30 minute kung fu show at Shaolin Temple. Yes it’s quite commercialized here but the show is included with your entrance ticket.

The queueing madness begins. Things are okay before the doors open but once they did, the pushing and shoving was ridiculous. I actually had to yell at an old grandma to tell her to shop pushing us. Don't be a pushover. Stand your ground!! — The queueing madness begins. Things are okay before the doors opened but once they did, the pushing and shoving was unbearable.

Chantelle not impressed with the grandmas shoving behind her. One thing I can't even joke about is how China can bring out the worst in you when it comes to line ups and queues. I've shoved a few people back a few times just to tell them to stop. — Chantelle not impressed with the grandmas shoving behind her. One thing I can’t even joke about is how China can bring out the worst in you when it comes to line ups and queues. I’ve shoved a few people back a few times just to tell them to stop.

The kung fu show featuring kids from nearby schools at Shaolin was actually pretty impressive. These kids were really good!

This kid was insanely flexible. He showed us at least 7 or 8 different poses where he contorted at impossible angles.

You can't see it too clearly here but this guy broke two metal rods over his head. — You can’t see it too clearly here but this guy broke two metal rods over his head.

This guy had a needle and was able to throw it hard enough to penetrate the glass and burst the balloon behind without shattering the glass.

The Actual Shaolin Temple

We thought the rain was over but it started up again after the show. This is in front of the entrance to the actual Shaolin Temple. It has quite the storied history.

Lisa gave us a ton of history facts about the monks but what tripped me up the most was all the dynasties this temple has seen through.

Yes this is a tree but no those holes aren't natural. Kung fu students actually trained their single or two finger strikes on these trees back in the day and that's what caused the indents you're seeing. — Yes this is a tree but no those holes aren’t natural. Kung fu students actually trained their single or two finger strikes on these trees back in the day and that’s what caused the indents you’re seeing.

The many temples within the temple grounds.

This cooking pot dates back 500 years and was used as a cooking wok for 2000 monks that lived here during the Ming Dynasty.

Love the intricate roof designs of these temples.

The last building in the temple is the training room. You can't quite see it here but there are 48 indents on the ground from the practice the used to do here. — The last building in the temple is the training room. You can’t quite see it here but there are 48 indents on the ground from the practice the used to do here.

These look funky but they're actually quite jealous they had these disposable shoe covers. — These look funky but they’re actually quite jealous they had these disposable shoe covers.

Pagoda Forest at Shaolin

The Pagoda Forest at Shaolin looked a lot different than I had imagined. In my head I was thinking it would be more of a forest path but instead it turned out to be really a giant cemetery of these stupas built to commemorate various monk leaders over the years at Shaolin.