Which is the most famous attraction in Dengfeng?

Shaolin Temple is a long-standing Buddhist temple in my country, the prestigious ancestral temple of Zen, and the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of Songshan Mountain 12 kilometers west of Dengfeng City. It is the main core scenic spot of Songshan Scenic Area. one. The Shaolin Temple was built in the 19th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 495). It was built by Emperor Xiaowen to settle the Indian monk Batuo. Because it was built in the dense forest of Shaoshi in Songshan Mountain, it was named "Shaolin Temple". In the third year of Xiaochang in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 527), the eminent Indian monk Bodhidharma came to Shaolin and spent nine years facing the wall of a natural stone cave in Wuru Peak of Shaoshi Mountain, where he first introduced Zen Buddhism. So far, Shaolin has been called the "ancestral court of Zen". In the early Tang Dynasty, the Thirteen-stick monks including Zhijian and Tanzong of Shaolin Temple made contributions to the Han Dynasty during the campaign of Qin King Li Shimin against Wang Shichong, and were praised and rewarded by the rulers of Li and Tang Dynasties. During this period, due to the strong support of the imperial court, Shaolin Temple developed rapidly and won the reputation of "the most famous temple in the world". Shaolin Kung Fu has also been famous since then. It reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. During the Republic of China, the warlord Shi Yousan set fire to most of the buildings in the Shaolin Temple, destroying a thousand-year-old foundation. After the founding of New China, with the care and support of the party and the country, the Shaolin Temple regained its glory, especially the 1982 movie "Shaolin Temple", which made the Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kung Fu popular around the world, becoming a top tourism product in Henan and even the world. Since the establishment of the temple, Shaolin Temple has become world-famous for its Zen, martial arts and medicine. It has endured for a long time and has accumulated rich historical connotation and cultural heritage. It has been rated as one of the "Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Zhengzhou" and among the first batch of "4A-level scenic spots" in the country. , receiving more than 1.5 million tourists every year, it is a veritable tourist pearl in the Central Plains and a tourist attraction in China. Introduction to Shaolin Temple The mountain gate should be called "three gates". According to Buddhist scriptures, the three gates are the abbreviation of the three gates of liberation. The gate of the temple is called the three gates, taking its meaning of entering the Tao. The three gates of the current Shaolin Temple were built during the imperial renovation in the 13th year of Yongzheng's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1735 AD). Renovated in 1974. A rectangular plaque with gold characters on a black background hangs above the main entrance, with the words "Shaolin Temple" written on it. It was awarded by the emperor in the 43rd year of Kangxi (1704 AD). The shrine in the Sanmen Hall is dedicated to the seated statue of Maitreya. Behind the shrine is a statue of Wei Tuo. In front of the third door, there is a pair of stone lions, with raised eyebrows and bulging eyes, which are innocent and majestic; the carvings are exquisite and are old items from the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Outside the eight-character wall of the third gate, there are two stone squares built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. They are symmetrical from east to west and have the same shape. The Tianwang Hall is the second main hall of the temple, and together with the Main Hall and the Sutra Pavilion, it is known as the three main halls. The original building was destroyed by the "Fire Disaster" in 1928 and rebuilt according to the old system in 1982. There are two statues of Vajra on the outside and statues of the Four Heavenly Kings on the inside. The Main Hall is the central place for Buddhist activities in the temple. The original building was destroyed in 1928 and rebuilt in 1986. The hall houses Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha and Amitabha. Hanging above it is the imperial inscription "Precious Tree Fragrant Lotus" written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. A statue of Guanyin hangs on the back wall of the screen wall. There are statues of eighteen Arhats on both sides. The Dharma Hall is located behind the Main Hall. Give lectures and sermons to eminent monks. It contains the Tripitaka of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as Shaolin boxing secret manuals, the copper plate of the Tripitaka of the Ming Dynasty, the wooden version of the "Shaolin Temple Chronicles" of the Qing Dynasty, the wall shadow stone of Bodhidharma, etc. In 1928, during a melee between warlords, three friends from the National Army set fire to the Shaolin Temple. The Dharma Hall and its storage were all destroyed by the fire, which was very sad. The current Dharma Hall was rebuilt in 1992 according to the old system. It houses a large reclining white marble Buddha, which is seven meters long and weighs 16.5 tons. Sutra cabinets on the east and west walls store the "Chinese Tripitaka", "Japanese Taisho New Tripitaka", "Korea Tripitaka", as well as Buddhist, Shaolin martial arts and other classics. The abbot's room is the place where the abbot lives and manages affairs in the temple. On September 30, the fifteenth year of Qianlong's reign (AD 1750), Emperor Gaozonghong of the Qing Dynasty used the abbot's room as his palace when he visited Shaolin Temple, so it was also called "Dragon Court". Thousand Buddha Hall is the last main hall of Shaolin Temple and the largest existing Buddhist hall in Shaolin Temple. It is named after the large mural of Five Hundred Arhats painted in the hall. The hall houses Pilu Buddha, so it is also called Pilu Pavilion. On the north wall and the east and west walls behind the shrine, there is a large mural of "Five Hundred Arhats Chao Pilu": the mural is seven and a half meters high, 42 meters long, and covers an area of ??about 320 square meters. It has a rigorous composition and vivid images. It is majestic and rare in the world. There are still forty-eight foot pits on the ground inside the temple, which are said to have been left over from the martial arts practice by the monks in the temple. The Qing court banned private martial arts practice, so Shaolin monks had no choice but to practice martial arts in the most secluded and spacious Thousand Buddhas Hall. Ciyuntang is the place with the highest concentration of steles in Shaolin Temple, located on the east side of Sanmen Neirong Road. There are 124 steles from the Northern Qi Dynasty on display in the corridor, so it is also called the Stele Gallery. "Shaolin Temple Stele" in the sixth year of Wuping in the Northern Qi Dynasty, "Poetry and Calligraphy Stele of the Queen of the Tang Dynasty" in the second year of Tang Yongchun (written by Wang Zhijing), "The Tower Facing the Wall" in the fourth year of Xuanhe in the Song Dynasty (written by Cai Jing), and "The First Mountain" in the Song Dynasty (Book by Mi Fu), "Yu Gong Stele" (Book by Zhao Mengfu) in the first year of Emperor Qing's reign in the Yuan Dynasty, "Stele of Master Chunzhuocai's Daoxing" in the 14th year of Yuan Zhizheng, and "Stele of Shaolin Zen Master Daogong" in the 37th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty ( Dong Qichang's calligraphy) and other famous steles are listed among them. It is actually a rich treasure house of calligraphy art. Nowadays, thousands of bamboo poles are planted in the courtyard, surrounded by palaces and pavilions, making it the most quiet and pleasant place in Shaolin Temple. Chu Zu'an is located about one kilometer northwest of Shaolin Temple, on a small hill under Wuru Peak. This is a nunnery built in the Song Dynasty to commemorate the first ancestor Bodhidharma facing the wall, also known as the "Facing the Wall Nunnery". It faces a stream on three sides and is shaded by ancient trees, making it a scenic spot in the mountain. Standing in the courtyard, you can look up at the Bodhidharma Cave and the large statue of Bodhidharma at the top of Wuru Peak. The main buildings of the current nunnery include the mountain gate, the main hall and the Thousand Buddhas Pavilion. The founding date of Shanmen is unknown, but it is believed to be during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. The present Shanmen was rebuilt according to the old system in 1986. The main hall was built in the seventh year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 1125). Every time it has been repaired in the past dynasties, the main components are still the original ones of the Northern Song Dynasty.

It is the oldest wooden and stone structure building in Henan Province and is of extremely high value in architectural scholarship. There is a brick-carved couplet on the door of the hall: "In the Western Heaven, the twenty-eight ancestors crossed over to the east and first opened Shaolin." There are statues of Bodhidharma in the hall, as well as the second ancestor Huike, the third ancestor Sengcan, the fourth ancestor Daoxin, and the fifth ancestor Hongren. There are still 23 paintings of figures on the east, north and west walls, and the other 5 have been destroyed by repairs in the past dynasties. The contents are about the thirty-six Zen ancestors following Bodhidharma. It was painted around the end of the Ming Dynasty, and the image is simple and crude. There are exquisite reliefs carved on the shoulder stones below the painting, as well as on the twelve eaves pillars of the main hall, the four inner pillars, and the girdle of the shrine's Xumizuo. The content includes characters, animals, flowers and landscapes, etc. The pictures are very rich, the shapes are vivid, the conception is ingenious, the artistic conception is far-reaching, and the sword skills are strong. They were all carved when the hall was built in the seventh year of Xuanhe (125 AD) in the Northern Song Dynasty. With a history of more than 800 years, it is a treasure among the stone carvings of Shaolin Temple and one of the treasure houses of stone carving art in my country. In front of the hall, it is said that the Sixth Patriarch planted a cypress tree with a circumference of more than four meters. It is said that the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng returned to Shaolin to pay homage to his ancestors. He used an alms bowl to bring the saplings from Guangdong and planted them here. Qianfo Pavilion was founded by Fu Yuan, the abbot of the first ancestral nunnery in the Ming Dynasty. Inside, there is a statue of Bodhidharma and a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. In front of the Thousand Buddhas Pavilion, there is a stone relic dating from the first year of Jingkang in the Northern Song Dynasty (1126 AD), with lines on all sides. In the picture, the king of heaven has his eyes wide open with anger, either holding a sword or a pestle; the lady is holding flowers and fruits in her hands, with graceful posture; the ghost king has disheveled hair. , the vicious look is revealed. The sword technique is smooth and free, and is of the highest quality. There are more than 40 steles in the nunnery, among which the famous ones include: "The Monument of Bodhidharma" by Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty, "The Temple of Bodhidharma Facing the Wall" by Cai Bian of the Song Dynasty, and the "Picture of Bodhidharma Facing the Wall" inscribed in the Ming Dynasty, etc. Pagoda Forest is located about 300 meters west of Shaolin Temple. Because the towers are scattered like a forest, it is called Pagoda Forest. Pagoda is the abbreviation of the ancient Indian sound "Tappo", which means tomb. In our country, it specifically refers to the tomb of monks. In the pagoda, the soul bones or the mantle of the deceased are usually placed. Pagoda Forest is a group of tombs of Shaolin Temple's abbots and accomplished and contributing monks. According to the Buddhist system, only after the death of famous monks or eminent monks, palaces and pagodas are built, and stones are carved to commemorate their achievements to show their merits and inspire future generations. The shape, level, and size of the pagoda are not only influenced by the customs and specific circumstances of each historical period (such as war times, dynasty changes, etc.), but also reflect the status, achievements, and prestige of the deceased in the Buddhist world during his lifetime. There are currently 232 tomb pagodas of various dynasties in the pagoda forest since the Sui Dynasty, including 1 Sui relic pagoda, 1 Tang pagoda, 2 Song pagodas, 7 golden pagodas, 43 Yuan pagodas, 139 Ming pagodas and 10 Qing pagodas. There are 2 contemporary towers, 27 towers of unknown age, and 35 ruined towers and tower bases. The area is more than 14,000 square meters. It is the largest Tallinn in our country. The shapes of these pagodas are colorful and divided into levels, including single-level and multi-level. The highest level is seven levels, which is known as the "seven-level pagoda" in the world, with a maximum height of 15 meters. According to the plane shape, there are square, rectangular, six-level Angular, octagonal and round, etc.; according to the shape, there are dense eaves type, blocking wave type and Lama type. Most of them are made of bricks and stones, but they are also made of solid stone. The tower body is often engraved with exquisite patterns and reliefs. The content of the pagoda inscriptions is richer. Each pagoda has an inscription on the front, marking the name of the pagoda owner; some pagodas also have inscriptions on the back. Several influential eminent monks also erected special tablets beside the pagoda to record the details of the pagoda owner. His life story, inheritance, as well as the person who built the tower, the year when the tower was built, etc. Therefore, the Shaolin Temple Pagoda Forest is not only an artistic treasure house for studying ancient Chinese masonry architecture, calligraphy, and sculpture, but also a very precious material for studying the history of Buddhism and the history of Shaolin Temple. It is particularly worth pointing out that the Yuan and Ming dynasties were one of the most important periods in the history of the Shaolin Temple. Since the early Yuan Dynasty, the first generation master Xueting Fuyu came to Shaolin, and the Zen Caodong lineage returned to the ancestral court and was passed down to the late Ming Dynasty. , during which famous teachers and eminent monks emerged in large numbers. It was called the "Shaolin ZTE Period" in history, and Xueting Fuyu was respected as the "ancestor of the ZTE". Combined with the history of Zen Buddhism, we can see that this golden period of Shaolin Temple is also the main manifestation of the golden period of Caodong Sect and an important manifestation of Chinese Buddhism in this period. The Yuan and Ming Dynasty tomb pagodas and inscription materials in the Shaolin Temple Pagoda Forest are particularly rare and valuable for academic research on the history of Zen Buddhism in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. In addition to the pagoda forest, there are 17 tomb pagodas scattered in and around the Shaolin Temple since the Tang Dynasty, including 4 Tang pagodas, 1 Five Dynasty pagodas, 2 Song pagodas, 1 Yuan pagoda, 2 Ming pagodas and 4 Qing pagodas. , 3 towers of unknown date, also of high value. Among them, the Faru Pagoda was built in the first year of Yongchang of the Tang Dynasty (AD 689). There is a stele in the tower room, which is of greater value for the study of the history of early Zen Buddhism. The Lixue Pavilion, behind the abbot's room, was built in the seventh year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1512 AD) to commemorate Bodhidharma Huike. The hall is dedicated to Bodhidharma, the first ancestor. Above the shrine hangs a plaque of "Snow Seal Heart Bead", which was inscribed by Emperor Hongli of the Qing Dynasty when he visited Shaolin. In the center of the plaque is the seal of "Treasure of Emperor Qianlong's Imperial Pen". Behind the shrine is a Kinnara, made of iron, with a simple and powerful shape. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower are located on both sides of the Main Hall. The Bell Tower is in the east and the Drum Tower is in the west. It has four floors and is 45 meters high. It is majestic and rare in China. In 1928, the Shaolin Temple suffered a "fire disaster". The bell tower was destroyed and the large iron bell fell to the ground and broke into several pieces. The current bell tower was rebuilt in 1994 according to the old system. The large bronze bell was cast in 1995 according to the prototype and weighs 6.5 tons. The broken iron bell on the north platform of the bell tower was the original cast in the fourth year of Jin Taihe. There is an inscription on the bell detailing its origins. The Drum Tower was destroyed by fire in 1928. The current Drum Tower was rebuilt in 1995 according to the old system. History of Shaolin Temple Shaolin Temple is located at the western foot of Zhongyue Songshan Mountain, 13 kilometers northwest of Dengfeng City, Henan Province. It is backed by Wuru Peak and opposite Shaoshi Mountain. It stands like a green screen with lush trees and charming scenery.

Surrounded by mountains, the peaks are connected in an orderly manner, forming a natural barrier for the Shaolin Temple. In 1983, the State Council designated Shaolin Temple as a national key Buddhist temple and a national key cultural relics protection unit. There is no more spiritual mountain in the sea than Songshan Mountain; in the mountain dojo, Shaolin is the winner. Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and martial arts in China, so it is known as the "ancestral temple of Zen Buddhism and martial arts resort" and is famous all over the world. Shaolin Temple was founded in the 19th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 495). Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty was a devout believer in Buddhism. The Indian monk Batuo came to Luoyang in the east to teach Buddhism and was highly respected by the emperor. Emperor Xiaowen ordered that a temple be built for him in the north of Shaoshi Mountain to provide him with food and clothing. Because the temple was built deep in the dense forest of Shaoshi Mountain, it was named "Shaolin Temple". Batuo was the first eminent monk to come to the Shaolin Temple. He devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures in the Shaolin Temple and accepted hundreds of disciples. His disciples included Hui Guang, Daofang, Seng Chou and others. The second eminent monk in Shaolin Temple is the legendary Bodhidharma. It is said that Bodhidharma was the son of King Suddhodana of South India (ancient India), and his teacher Prajna Dora was the 27th ancestor of the ancient Indian Buddha. After Bodhidharma obtained the Dharma, he traveled across the ocean to Guangzhou after three years of cold and heat. When Emperor Wu of Liang heard about Bodhidharma's arrival, he sent envoys to welcome him to Nanjing. However, Bodhidharma had no chance to talk to Emperor Wu of Liang, so he crossed the river with a reed and came to Nanjing. Songshan, who spent nine years facing the wall in the Wurufeng cave in the back mountain of Shaolin Temple, founded the Zen Buddhism in China. Later generations respected Bodhidharma as the first ancestor of Zen, and Shaolin Temple was also called the ancestral court of Zen. In 574 AD, "Zhou Wu destroyed Buddhism", and Shaolin Temple was not spared. A few years later, Emperor Zhou Jing renamed the Shaolin Temple "Zhi'an Temple", restored the halls and Buddhist statues, and appointed more than 120 monks, including Hui Yuan and Hong Zun, to stay in Zhi'an Temple. In the Sui Dynasty, Buddhism was vigorously promoted. During the Kaihuang period, the old name of "Shaolin Temple" was restored and one hundred hectares of land was given to Shaolin Temple in Baiguwu, making Shaolin Temple a manor with certain economic strength. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, armies were raised in various places, and the Shaolin Temple suffered its first fire, which destroyed many temples and only the pagoda remained. In the early Tang Dynasty, the thirteen stick monks of Shaolin saved the King of Qin Li Shimin and made great achievements in protecting the country. The Tang Dynasty continuously granted Shaolin Temple property, carried out large-scale construction projects, and built Buddhist pagodas and temples. The emperor and queen often visited Shaolin Temple and respected it as a treasured place for Buddhism. At that time, the Shaolin Temple had an area of ??more than 14,000 acres, a temple base of 540 acres, 5,418 temple buildings, and more than 2,000 monks. As recorded in the "Shaolin Temple Stele": "There are wonderful towers and high pavilions, overlooking the forest, and the golden temple bells are shaking the Qing Dynasty." Especially in 723, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered the astronomer Monk and his party to build the Jade Palace in Shaolin Temple. The monk and his team carefully designed and built a "Brahma Palace" with extremely exquisite carvings. . At that time, the Shaolin Temple was so brilliant that it could be called the best in the world. In the first year of Tiance Long Live (AD 695), Wu Zetian enshrined Songshan Mountain and changed the name to the first year of "Long Live Deng Feng". The name of Dengfeng County was derived from this. In the Tang Dynasty, there were many famous monks in Shaolin Temple, including Shanhu, Zhicao, Tanzong, Mingchan, Faru, Tongguang, etc. During the Song Dynasty, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism merged into one another. The thoughts of Neo-Confucianists were influenced by Zen Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism and the Shaolin Temple, the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism, also developed. During the Yongxi period of the Song Dynasty, there were more than 9,500 volumes of Buddhist scriptures stored in the Shaolin Temple, and the Shaolin Temple was known as "the most famous temple in the world". The Yuan Dynasty was the period of resurgence of Shaolin Temple. Monk Fuyu was the abbot of Shaolin Temple. He built the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. . Shaolin martial arts has also been fully developed. In the Ming Dynasty, Shaolin Temple was often renovated to make the temple new and magnificent. The Ming government waived the food shortage and built a new Thousand Buddha Hall for Shaolin Temple. In the Qing Dynasty, the Shaolin Temple was renovated and rebuilt on a large scale. During the 13th year of Yongzheng's reign, the emperor personally viewed the temple's planning map, reviewed and approved the plan, and spent all the savings in rice prices and Henan Province's accumulated public funds during the 12th year of Yongzheng's water transportation. There were mature cypress trees around the temple. After all the felling was done, the mountain gate was built, and the Thousand Buddha Hall, dormitories, etc. were rebuilt. In 1750, Emperor Qianlong visited Shaolin Temple in person, stayed overnight in the abbot's room, and wrote poems and erected monuments. In the late Qing Dynasty, Shaolin Temple was in decline. Especially in 1928, three friends of the National Army burned down the Shaolin Temple, burning the Dharma Hall, the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall and thousands of precious scripture collections. The fire lasted for dozens of days and nights, and most of the thousand-year-old temple halls were reduced to scorched earth and turned into ruins.