Shaolin refers to a Buddhist monk order in China. The term Shaolin is also used for the original monastery of the order located on Mount Songshan in Dengfeng, Henan Province, in the heart of China. It is famous for its martial art known in the West as "Shaolin Kung Fu," as well as Tai Chi and Qigong. The monastery is also considered the birthplace of historical Chan Buddhism, the precursor to Zen.
In the year 495 AD, Emperor Xiaowen (471-499) of the Northern Wei Dynasty provided funds to the Indian-born monk Batuo to establish the Shaolin Monastery in the Songshan Mountains of Henan Province. Under Batuo's leadership, the Shaolin Monastery developed into a center of Buddhist teachings.
According to legend, the Indian monk Bodhidharma, founder and first patriarch of Chan or Zen Buddhism, arrived at the Shaolin Monastery around the year 527 AD and taught the foundations of Shaolin martial arts, which were further developed and transmitted within the monastery. During the Tang Dynasty (around 600 AD), the Shaolin monks gained great prestige in the Chinese Empire. Historically documented, in the year 728, the Shaolin Monastery dispatched 13 warrior monks to support the embattled dynasty. Due to the valuable services rendered by these monks, the monastery was granted several privileges, including training some monks as warriors.
From 1368 to 1644, the Shaolin Monastery and its martial arts experienced a significant resurgence. The monastery's army consisted of approximately 2,500 men, and its martial arts were practiced in numerous variations and techniques. This period is also referred to as the golden age of the Shaolin Temple.
