The Shaolin temple of China has a lot of interesting things for the traveler

You might have seen the Shaolin Temple in movies, but going there in person will make you feel ecstatic. It will remind you of the various action packed scenes and the death defying stunts performed by Jet Li in the movie. Visiting Shaolin Temple is really a memorable experience as you will witness all the important places which you have watched in the movie in front of yourself. Before beginning the article it is important to mention here that this UNESCO World Heritage Site is also known as the Shaolin Monastery.

So if you thought that the Shaolin Temple is only about martial arts, then there are a number of other interesting things like the Mahavira Hall, the Pagoda Forest and the Dharma Cave that lures visitors regularly to this place. Each of the three places has got their charm and holds a special significance. Holidays in China become more exciting by visiting the place. The Mahavira Hall holds a special importance as prayers and important celebrations are held here regularly. 18 Buddhist arhats stand in both the eastern and southern part of the hall in order to offer their prayers to the almighty.

The figure of Kingnaro and Dharma, founders of Shaolin Cudgel Chinese Zen Buddhism respectively is placed behind the three Buddhas. The stone lions, which are 3.33 feet high, are also quite spectacular to watch. Walking through the floors one can find fifty small pits which are said to be the fine prints of Monks who used to teach martial arts here.

The Pagoda Forests can give you an idea initially that it is all about trees, but upon visiting there you might be surprised to see their scarcity. Pagodas refer to the tall brick structures that were built in the Tang Dynasty. There is a total of 228 pagodas in Shaolin Temple. The specialty of all the pagodas is that all of them are different from each other in terms of size. Some of them are polygonal where as some of them are cylindrical in shape.

Dharma Cave has got a mythological importance. Dharma was a Buddhist monk who is said to have introduced Zen Buddhism for the first time. It is said that he meditated in this cave for nine long years before reaching the spiritual stage. The cave is about 23 feet deep and has many inscriptions written on both sides of the cave. The special attraction of the place is the Meditating stone near which Dharma used to sit and meditate. The stone till today rests at the same place.

The tour can be concluded by visiting the Wushu Martial Arts Training Center. This is the place where you can watch students practicing the Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. The monks have been practicing Kung fu for the last 1500 years. You can see here students performing Tong Zi Gong, a form of martial arts that mainly helps a person to develop inner strength and flexibility. The temple is open every day for the visitors from 08:10 am to 17:30 pm.

By opting for any of the International Tour Packages from Destination Travels you can stay at one of the star hotels of your destination country. The china holiday packages are quite attractive and include a visit to all the important places of the country.

Author : http://www.streetarticles.com/destination-tips/the-shaolin-temple-of-china-has-a-lot-of-interesting-things-for-the-traveler