Originally Posted by
kwaichang
Practically everyone knows about the Shaolin martial arts in China. Did you know that there is not one, but three temples in Fujian that claim to be the true historical home of Southern Shaolin?
Read on...............
A little history
The Manchus overthrew the Ming dynasty, lovalists (the Southern Shaolin amongst them) rallied to restore the Ming government - this is the reason for the popularity of the term si ming (思明), or remember the Ming. As part of the fight, even their monastic greeting changed. In the Northern Shaolin monastery, monks greeted each other by clasping their palms together, as if in prayer. In the south, monks brought their right fist toward their left palm in front of their chest (if you can't picture it, watch any kungfu movie - period or contemporary). The combination of the right fist / left palm symbolised the Chinese character for Ming.
The Qing emperor never forgave nor forget the Southern Shaolin's treasonous ways and ordered the complete destruction of the temple, with instructions that it was never to be rebuilt. The Southern Shaolin thus faded into the mists of history, and it's only been in recent years that there has been renewed interest in pinpointing its actual location.
Putian's Lin Quan Yuan
At 500 metres above sea level and only the occasional bus service, Putian's Southern Shaolin temple on Jiulian Mountain (九莲山) is not very accessible, Our taxi driver joked that the students who learned martial arts at the temple school couldn't get into any trouble, because there was no trouble to be found this high up.
Excavations in 1986 unearthed some ancient building remains and pottery shards, along with some stunningly well-preserved stone baths (that were determined to be for medicinal use). They bore the names Lin Quan Yuan (林泉院), Si Shan Jie (寺山界), and most importantly, one of the stone baths was also inscribed with a sentence describing its origin. To Putian, this was clear evidence that their city was home to the fabled Southern Shaolin temple.
In fact. the archaeological finds do indicate that there was a temple at this location, known as Lin Quan Yuan. Unfortunately for Putian, province-level archaeologists were not convinced that Lin Quan Yuan had any direct links to the Shaolin monks.
The temple, completely rebuilt with no real historical evidence remaining, is clearly not visited very often. The neglect shows, with spiders' webs joining stone lions to plants and bells to columns. If there were any monks living and using the temple, they must certainly be extremely careful not to touch anything, and we did not see much activity beyond employees napping on tables and counters.
Putian Southern Shaolin Temple, Lin Shan Village, Jiulian Mountain, Xitianwei town, Putian (莆田县西天尾镇九莲山林山村)
Quanzhou's Zhen Guo Dong Chan Temple
After that disappointing trip, we were less-than-enthusiastic about getting on another bus to take us to Quanzhou, home of another alleged Shaolin temple. However, I had a map of Quanzhou, and it was clear that Quanzhou's Zhen Guo Dong Chan Temple was close to the city centre and accessible via public bus.
It was clear from the moment we entered this second claimant to the Southern Shaolin throne that there had been a lot more money lavished on this temple. There were youths who were summering there as kungfu students, a few monks could be seen going about their daily lives, and even a young man who volunteered to be our guide. He was more than happy to tell us the history of the temple.
According to the Qing-era publication, Records of the Western Mountain (西山杂志), the Quanzhou Shaolin Temple was first built in the year 611, more than 1,300 years ago. None of the original temple stands, as it had been destroyed and subsequently rebuilt three times. In 907, Wang Shenzhi, a rebel who created the 'Min Kingdom' during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (and was responsible for trying to eradicate the surname Shen), razed the temple to the ground as the monks opposed his rule. It was rebuilt during the Northern Song dynasty. In 1236, it was destroyed again, under orders of the Southern Song Dynasty government. Its final destruction occurred in 1763. The monks in the temple supported the Qing against the Ming (see above), and Emperor Qianlong ordered the complete destruction of the temple (and the murder of all who lived there) in vengeance He also forbade the rebuilding of the temple.
There is no denying, however, that Quanzhou's Southern Shaolin temple is in a picturesque location, and is well worth a visit if you're in the area. Just don't expect to see anything historical in nature - reconstruction began in 1992, and a 'second phase' is under works.
Quanzhou Southern Shaolin Temple, Dongyue Mountain, Quanzhou (泉州市东岳山少林寺)
Fuqing's Shaolin Temple
Most ironically (and perhaps fortunately), it is the most convincing aspirant to the throne of Southern Shaolin that we visited last. The temple in Fuqing is where there are direct historical references to the Shaolin monks. Unlike the temples in Putian and Quanzhou, it is named in 12th, 15th, and 16th century publications and excavations produced Song era pottery with the Chinese characters for Shaofin (少林). The national Cultural Relics Bureau eventually determined that there had truly been a Shaolin temple in that location.
As we sat (and napped, for it was a 6:00 am start this time) through our three-hour bus journey, then waited a few minutes in the hot Fujian sun for our driver, Mr Wei, to appear, I began to worry that this temple would also be a letdown. Mr Fu had said more than once that this temple was rather remote, and expressed surprise that I even knew of its existence.
The physical location of Fuqing's Shaolin temple gave us a good feeling from the start. Secondly, as only the middle section of the temple has been rebuilt (according to the woman manning the gift counter, the local government does not have the money to rebuild the rest), some ancient foundations remain. They are marked and untouched (and unprotected against the ravages of time and inclement weather). I actually felt joy at seeing these ruins, whether it was a wall, support columns, or the monks' toilet block - here was history, real history, not something that had been demolished and rebuilt as a replica of the original.
This time, I was grateful that the temple grounds were practically deserted; I had the opportunity to clamber among the ruins, furiously taking snapshots using both my digital and film cameras with no one getting in the way of my viewfinder. There was even an ancient grave in the top corner - graves are of some personal interest to me, and to find one that could have been the final resting place of a real Shaolin monk? What a treasure!
It saddens me that there is a real possibility of these ruins being covered over and a brand new temple built in its place - once there is enough money. Being a big fan of history, it is my fond hope that the Fuqing local government understands the value of preserving, net replacing, these monuments, as they are an important part of China's long history. Building replicas just doesn't leave visitors with a real sense of what has been.
Fuqing Southern Shaolin Temple, Dongzhang Township, Fuqing County (福清县东张镇少林寺)
Guang bing has a long history in Fujian, primarily in the Fuzhou area. In 1563, Qi Xuguang (戚继光) - invented a biscuit that could be strung around the neck and eaten as needed, making military life (and prosecuting war) much easier for his soldiers. The biscuit soon became popular amongst the citizens, even making its way onto tables of offerings to long-dead ancestors. The 'guang' in guang bing is in honour of Qis memory.
The verdict? If you're not fussy about your temples and you don't have a lot of time, visit Quanzhou's Zhen Guo Dong Chan Temple. It may be lacking in real historical character, but it is a very peaceful and well-maintained site. My vote, however, is for Fuqing's Southern Shaolin, especially if you're a history buff. There, old toilets are wonderful things.
SOURCE: Andrea See; Fang Fang and
Wang Jing contributed to this article
A map I viewed shows 6 possible locations.
This article was edited but these people mention 3 temples of possible Shaolin heritage. My Question to all is which temple do you speak of when you say southern Shaolin tsu