Luoyang Part 2 - Luoyang, China
Luoyang, China
Day 2 in our little Luoyang adventure was allocated to visiting the Shaolin Temple. This temple is famous because it was the birthplace for Kung Fu and Chinese Zen Buddhism.
Located a good two hour drive from the city center, the Shaolin Temple is nestled in the mountains. The air there was the freshest I have experienced in China. I know that I have probably been here for too long, when I am pointing out the air as a highlight and potential reason to come to the temple. According to our guide, this area housed over 200 martial arts schools which admit students from the age of 5.
The location was truly beautiful, and I really enjoyed the winding road up the mountain on the way there, which wonderfully showed off the views.
After waiting for our guide to purchase our tickets at the entrance, we did the typical touristy thing and took all sorts of posing shots in front of the gate. The Chinese tourists did their touristy thing too; taking pictures with us. It was all really good fun though, and we made them join us doing jumping shots and silly faces.
Once we were finished, we were hustled into the performance room, where we watched a short performance. The performers were of all ages, and it was really amazing seeing what they could do. They were so disciplined and serious when it came to their art. I was particularly impressed when one performer threw a needle through a pane of glass and popped a balloon on the other side. He threw it so quickly that the glass did not shatter; instead it left a tiny hole in the centre of the pane.
We visited the actual temple, which was beautiful. I was expecting to see the original structures, but, unfortunately, these structures have been rebuilt many times over the past 1000 years, most famously in 1647, 1674 and 1732 during the Qing dynasty for supposedly anti-Qing activities. Most recently, it was targeted in the Cultural Revolution as it was a religious temple. It was also interesting seeing the trees with many circular holes down the trunk. We later found out that the monks used the trees to practice finger-punching. It's pretty incredible to think that their fingers were strong enough to make a hole in the tree trunk. My fingers get sore if I knock on a door too much.
We also saw a stone turtle, which, if you rub its head, will make you immune from any diseases in the future. Unfortunately, the stone is not magical, and Vesliana caught a cold once we got back, despite some vigorous rubbing of the turtle's head.
I think we went at the perfect time, as the ground was covered in bright yellow leaves from the trees, which was so pretty. It was a busy day, but I expect that at the height of peak tour season, the crowds would be a lot more suffocating.
We walked through the Pagoda Forest, where 228 stone or brick pagodas are. These pagodas are tombs for Chinese dignitaries and monks. The shape and size of the pagoda reflects the person it was intended for. The Pagoda Forest at Shaolin is one of the biggest in China.
We had lunch with the tour guide at a restaurant the company had affiliations with. The tour guide and bus driver had dumplings, which looked delicious, while we had some very questionable dishes, one of which we found hair inside. Instead, we defiantly purchased some snacks from the shop next door.
When we were due to hop back in the bus, we noticed that our little mini van was already filled with locals. We found out that they had paid the bus driver, and so he could make a little extra money by acting as a taxi, and dropping them off at different points back in the city.
When we finally reached home, we were exhausted. It had been such a busy day, but so worth it to see one of the most spiritual and culturally important sites in China.