In martial arts movies and novels, there is a saying that “all martial arts in the world originate from Shaolin”. Among Shaolin temples, there are the North Shaolin and the South Shaolin. Quanzhou Shaolin Temple, originally named “Zhenguo Dongchan Shaolin Temple”, is the legendary South Shaolin Temple. The book “The Secret of Shaolin Boxing”, written in the late Qing Dynasty, states: “At that time, there were two Shaolin temples in the country, one in central Henan and the other in Fujian”.
Tang Hao’s research shows that this “Shaolin in Fujian” is Quanzhou Shaolin, thus establishing the status of Quanzhou South Shaolin Temple. From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple experienced three rises and three declines. It wasn’t until October 1992 that Quanzhou South Shaolin Temple was rebuilt. So, in fact, the current South Shaolin Temple lacks profound cultural heritage because all the buildings are newly constructed.It is located at the foot of Dongyue Mountain, a branch of Qingyuan Mountain in Quanzhou. There is a sign at the foot of the mountain that reads “Shaolin Temple, 600 meters ahead”. However, in reality, it is more than 600 meters on foot. It takes about one kilometer to reach the mountain gate. This place will surely not disappoint your expectations of the Shaolin Temple in martial arts movies. Its architecture is magnificent.
After passing through the mountain gate, the first thing you see is the Tianwang Hall. Then, along the central axis, there are the Daxiong Baodian (Great Hero Hall), the Avalokitesvara Pavilion, and the Scripture Library in sequence. On the left and right, there are the Arhat Hall, the Damo Hall, the Deacon Hall, and the Ancestral Hall. There is also a Martial Arts Performance Hall at the mountain gate, which is the place for martial arts performances. In addition, there is a Shaolin Temple Cultural Square. The structure of the temple progresses layer by layer along with the mountain. The corridors on both sides are carved with warrior monks practicing various boxing and staff techniques. The statue of Avalokitesvara in the Avalokitesvara Pavilion is also a major attraction here. It is carved from two pieces of African pau rosa wood and is 12 meters high. If you happen to encounter warrior monks practicing, it will be even more interesting. Generally, warrior monks practice at 10:00 in the morning at the Martial Arts Performance Hall for your reference. It’s nice to come here to worship Buddha and visit the South Shaolin Temple. If you are willing to get up early, you can also come to see the legendary Shaolin martial arts. But be careful of swindlers. Opening hours: It is open from 9:00 – 17:00 throughout the year.
