SHAOLIN TEMPLE
The Shaolin Temple was established in 495 A.D. at the western foot of the Songshan Mountain, 13 kilometres northwest to Dengfeng City, Henan Province. The then Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-557) had the temple built to accommodate the Indian master Batuo (Buddhabhadra). Shaolin Temple literally means "temple in the thick forests of Shaoshi Mountain".
As the first Shaolin abbot, Batuo (Buddhabhadra) devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures and preaching doctrines to hundreds of his followers. 32 years later another Indian monk Bodhidharma arrived at Shaolin Temple. He was said to have crossed the Yangtze River on a single reed. He spent nine years meditating in a cave at the Wuru Peak and initiated the Chinese Chan tradition at the Shaolin Temple. Thereafter, Bodhidharma was honoured as the first Patriarch of Chan Buddhism. Legend has it that Bodhidharma found the monks to be weak and unhealthy even after long periods of practicing meditation. For this reason, he developed specific martial arts to strengthen them, and these teachings would later form the basis of Shaolin Kungfu. One of the unique aspects of Shaolin culture is that it combines Shaolin Kungfu with Chan Buddhism.
Situated in the Song Mountain (the Central Sacred Mountain), the temple was frequently visited by generals and emperors. Until its modern renaissance, the golden age of the monastery is said to have been during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). At the beginning of the seventh century, a tiny army of 13 Shaolin monks was reputed to have saved the future Tang Dynasty emperor Li Shimin's life. When he took power, Li showered the temple with favors, land and wealth. Under his patronage, the temple thrived as a Kungfu center, a gathering spot of masters from across the entire country.
The golden age of the Shaolin Temple peaked during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and began its decline during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In its heyday, it housed more than 3,000 monks. Its long tumultuous history includes a series of destructions and reconstructions. The single most devastating incident was in 1928, when the warlord Shi Yousan ignited a blaze that raged for more than 40 days destroying nearly all of the temple's classics and records. Since then, most of the Shaolin Temple has been restored since.
ABBOT SHI YONG XIN
Shi Yong Xin, originally named Liu Yingcheng, was born in 1965 in Yingshang, Anhui Province. Ordained in 1981, he was the disciple of the former abbot Xingzheng. After the former abbot passed away in 1987, Master Yongxin began to preside over the Shaolin Temple. The new abbot and Master Yongxin took office in August 1999. Abbot Yongxin has since then made invaluable contributions to the revival, preservation and promotion of the Shaolin legacy. He has compiled and catalogued the cultural relics of Shaolin Temple (such as The Secret Book of Shaolin Kung Fu and Medicine), as well as published important writings and Chan journals. To propagate Shaolin culture on a far reaching scale, he has promoted various Buddhist activities and engaged in domestic and foreign exchange activities.