The Holy land of the Shaolin

Wind Hole Temple (Fengxuesi 风穴寺) is one of the oldest temples in China, built in Northern Wei Dynasty (chin.: Beiwei 北魏 386-581), according to historical records. It is located on Fengxue Mountain (风穴山) which also is known as Gu Shan (故山), 79 km northwest of Pingdingshan (平顶) City; 9 kilometres northeast (chin.: Dongbei东北) of Song Mountain (chin.: songshan 嵩山) in the northern foot (chin.: nanlu南麓) of Mountain Shaosi (少室山) in Ruzhou City (chin.: Ruzhou shiqu 汝州市区), of Linru County (chin.: 临汝县), Henan Province (Henansheng 河南省).

It is a picturesque place with a taste of the Jiangnan (chin.: 江南) botanical garden style. It is a gathering of green hills, clear streams, ancient pagodas, halls and steles. The temple hides deep in the mountains, facing 9 hills. At the mouth of Fengxue Hill, the road is flanked by mountains, with dense green woods and streams flowing 1,5 km northward, the temple can be seen. It fills with a sense of poem and picture that “Old temple concealed in the deep mountain, zigzag paths leading to the peaceful and secluded land”.

The temple was once lodging 1000 monks, in 300 abodes, in an area of 2000 acres and along with White Horse Temple (chin.: Baimasi白马寺) in Luoyang (chin.: 洛阳), Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng (chin.: 登封) and Xiangguo Temple (chin.: Xiangguosi 相国寺) in Kaifeng (chin.: 并称) shared the honour of the four great temples (chin.: 中国四大名寺) in the south of the Yellow River area (chin.: 这个中原地区). This is written on one of the numerous steles of the Temple as well as that the temple’s name had changed successively to Xiangji Temple, thousand peaks temple, white clouds temple, wind hole temple.

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