In martial arts films and books, there is a saying that ‘all martial arts in the world originate from Shaolin’. Among Shaolin temples, there are Northern Shaolin and Southern Shaolin. Quanzhou Shaolin Temple, originally named ‘Zhenguo Dongchan Shaolin Temple’, is the legendary Southern Shaolin Temple. The book ‘Secret of Shaolin Boxing Techniques’ completed in the late Qing Dynasty states: ‘At that time, there were two Shaolin temples in the country, one in Zhongzhou and one in Fujian.
‘ Tang Hao’s research and考证 believe that this ‘Shaolin in Fujian’ is Quanzhou Shaolin, thus establishing the status of Quanzhou Southern Shaolin. From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple experienced three rises and three declines. In October 1992, Quanzhou Southern Shaolin Temple was rebuilt. So in fact, the Southern Shaolin Temple seen now lacks sufficient cultural connotations because the buildings are all new. It is located at the foot of Dongyue Mountain, a branch of Quanzhou Qingyuan Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there is a sign that says ‘600 meters to Shaolin Temple’, but in reality, if you walk, it is far more than 600 meters. It takes about one kilometer to reach the mountain gate. This place will never disappoint your expectations of Shaolin Temple in martial arts films. Its architecture is magnificent. After passing through the mountain gate, the first thing you see is the Heavenly King Hall. Then on the central axis are successively the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Pavilion and Sutra Depository. On the left and right are Arhat Hall, Dharma Hall, Deacon Hall, Ancestral Hall, etc. There is also a martial arts arena at the mountain gate, which is a place for martial arts performances. In addition, there is also a Shaolin Temple cultural square. The temple structure advances layer by layer along the mountain. The corridors on both sides are carved with warrior monks using various boxing and staff techniques. The Guanyin statue in the Guanyin Pavilion is also a major attraction here. It is carved from two pieces of African merbau mahogany and is up to 12 meters high. If you encounter warrior monks practicing, it will be even more interesting. Generally, warrior monks practice at the martial arts arena at 10:00 in the morning for reference. Coming here to worship the Buddha and seeing the Southern Shaolin Temple is still good. If you are willing to get up early, you can also come to see the legendary Shaolin martial arts. But be careful of scammers.Open all year round from 9:00 to 17:00.
