Discover China

Songshan is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 square-kilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites. These buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. Find out more about this amazing World Heritage listed location by watching the online videos of the CNTV Journeys in Time six-part Series: Mount Songshan.

I enjoyed a visit to the Songshan Shaolin Temple and its ancient pagoda forest as part of my travels through Anhui, Henan and Zhejiang provinces in 2009 (see story and pictures).

Last night we went to the cinema to see the new movie “Shaolin”. Much more than just a Kung Fu film, the fast-paced, breathtaking Shaolin is an experience in the benevolence, wisdom and enlightenment of Chinese Buddhism. I visited the Shaolin Temple, which is located at Dengfeng near Zhengzhou in Henan Province, during my trip to Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang in 2009. Rather than risk damage to the real Shaolin Temple, which last year gained World Heritage listing, a replica film set was built in Zhejiang Province.

Shaolin begins with feuding warlords trying to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant warlord Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin’s masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. There he confronts the harm he has done, learning Shaolin martial arts and repenting. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a stand against the evil warlords and foreign colonists who are exploiting the Chinese people to plunder ancient treasures (something that has sadly happened in real life, one of the worst examples being the French and English looting and destruction of Yuanmingyuan).

Find out more at Emperor Motion Pictures – Shaolin.