50 miles (80 km) W of Zhengzhou. c from Luoyang & Zhengzhou to Deng-feng & Shaolin Temple. DengDeng-feng n 203 Beihuan Lu, (0371) 287 2137.
T
HE CENTRAL PEAKof China’s five sacred Daoist peaks, Song Shan soars 4,895 ft (1,492 m) high. Its sights can be best explored by staying at Dengfeng, at the foot of Taishi Shan, where numerous trails lead past temples and pagodas, and offer splendid views around the valley. Just 3 miles (5 km) east is the vast Zhongyue Miao (Central Peak Temple). Possibly China’s oldest Daoist shrine, it was consecrated over 2,200 years ago, although what exists today is more recent.About 2 miles (3 km) north of Dengfeng is the Songyang Academy. A Confucian college that was one of China’s four great centers of learning, its courtyard has two tall cypresses, said to have been planted 2,000 years ago by the Han emperor Wudi. Farther uphill, the 12-sided Songyue Si Pagoda, dating from the 6th century AD, is China’s oldest brick pagoda. Just 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Dengfeng, the Gaocheng Observatory dates from the Yuan era. Its pyramidal tower is China’s oldest intact observatory. Shaolin, literally
“Young Forest,” is the name of the fighting order of monks who reside in the Buddhist Shaolin Temple, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Dengfeng.
Founded in the 5th century AD, it acquired its martial spirit under Bodhidarma, an Indian monk who arrived here in AD 527. He devised a system of exercises that
evolved into shaolin quan, or Shaolin Boxing, the origin
of all the great Chinese martial arts. The temple
has burned down repeatedly and today
its mystique has been dulled by blatant commercialization.
It remains, however, a place of pilgrimage for
many martial arts devotees, who still
flock here to develop gong fu (skill), popularly known as kung fu.
The large temple has several halls. Toward the back, the Standing in the Snow Pavilion marks the spot where the monk Huihe chopped off his
Gongyi
r50 miles (80 km) W of Zhengzhou.
c from Luoyang or Zhengzhou.
J
UST OUTSIDEthe town of Gongyi a historic collection of Song-era imperial tombs and a group of Buddhist grotto art can be found. The seven surviving tombs of Song emperors are marked by burial mounds and statuary. Scattered over a vast area southeast of town, the tombs can be seen from buses shuttling between Luoyang and Zhengzhou.About 5 miles (8 km) north of Gongyi, the Buddhist Grottoes (shiku) have some carvings from the Northern Wei period.
P Buddhist Grottoes
@ ª # daily. &
arm to commune more closely with Zen Buddhism. Behind, the Pilu Pavilion’s floor is marked with pits where monks practiced their footwork.
Within the Chuipu Hall, terra-cotta figures depict various styles of Shaolin Boxing.
The Forest of Stupas, a short walk from the temple, is a large assembly of brick pagodas, commemorating renowned Shaolin monks.
Each September, the famous wushu (martial arts) festival is held here. The cave where Bodhidarma reputedly sat in meditation for nine years is up the mountainside.
tShaolin Temple c ª # 8am–5:30pm daily. &
tZhongyue Miao
# 8am–5pm daily. &
Bodhidarma statue, Shaolin Temple
Striking sculptures of the Heavenly King and Defender of the Buddha, Longmen Caves
Bodhidarma, the founder of Chan
(Zen) Buddhism, was an Indian monk who visited the Shaolin Temple. He invented a system of exercises for the monks who were often seated in medita-tion. It was from these exercises that Shaolin Boxing developed.
C
HINESE MARTIAL ARTS are loosely referred to as kung fu or gong fu in the West. Gong fu means“skill” and can describe the accomplishments of a calligrapher or pianist, as much as a martial artist. No one is certain when the fighting arts came to the country, but it is clear that China has the largest number and most colorful of fighting styles, including Drunken Boxing and Praying Mantis Fist. Although there is considerable blurring between
them, kung fu divides into internal (neijia) and external (waijia) schools. The internal schools tend to stress internal power or qi (see pp32–3), using evasion and softness to lead an attacker off balance, while waijia forms seek to over-whelm an opponent with physical strength and power. Kung fu employs many weapons, including the spear broadsword, pole, and whip and even encompasses training in the use of everyday objects, such as the fan, umbrella, or stool, as weapons.
Shaolin monksendure a rigorous training regimen. Here, they perform an acrobatic version of the horse stance (mabu), a painful exercise that is essential for developing a powerful stance and a deep
“root” for stability while fighting.
Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigram Palm), an internal art, incorporates circular movements into all footwork and strikes.
Bagua practitioners were traditionally seen by other stylists as unpredictable, elusive, and ferocious adversaries.
K
UNGF
UF
ILMI
NDUSTRYThe Chinese and Hong Kong film industry entertains its audience with stylized and prettified versions of kung fu in movie plots that typically hinge on themes of vengeance and retribution. Famous actors have included Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li and a host of lesser known B-movie actors and actresses. Hallmark films include Drunken Master 2 (Jackie Chan) and Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee). The martial arts employed in cinema are very different from the real thing – an impressive martial arts actor does not necessarily make a good martial artist. Movements are choreographed and stunts are practiced repeatedly to give the impression of a real fight, without the dangers inherent in real combat.
Xingyi Quan (Shape Mind Fist) is, of the neijia practices, probably the closest to a hard
school. Although its strikes and blocks are linear and
powerful, relaxation is paramount. The basics
of this explosive fighting style are simple to learn, but
tricky to master.
Bruce Lee (right) in The Chinese Connection
Kung Fu
Kung fu sword