Zhengzhou: the martial arts of Shaolin Temple

Prefectural capital along the Yellow River, Zhengzhou remains the access gateway to the famous monastery where Shaolin kung fu originated.

The subway conveniently connects the center to the railway station.

The Shaolin Temple, on nearby Mount Song, remains the birthplace of Buddhist martial arts practiced in China, founded in the fifth century and still active as a monastery.

A few minutes away, the Pagoda Forest houses over two hundred tombs of Shaolin monks built over the course of a millennium.

Continuing toward the center, one visits the Henan Museum, which displays archaeological finds from the ancient Chinese dynasties born in this region.

Toward evening, the Erqi district animates with shops and restaurants around the commemorative tower that names the central square.

The Shaolin Temple, founded in four hundred ninety-five AD by order of Emperor Xiaowen, remains the symbolic place of Chan Buddhism and Chinese martial arts, today a pilgrimage destination for practitioners from around the world.

Henan, the cradle of several Chinese imperial dynasties along the course of the Yellow River, safeguards an archaeological heritage among China's richest, recounted in Zhengzhou's museums.