Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes|travel package

Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes
travel package - 3 days / 2 nights

You've seen the famous fighting monks of Shaolin Monastery in movies. Now it's time to see them in person at their ancient stronghold, the birthplace of Shaolin-style wushu. These spectacular monks share Songshan, one of the five sacred Daoist mountains, with the Daoist Zhongyue Temple. Our tour also introduces you to Luoyang, the capital of several ancient dynasties, including the brief reign of China's only ruling empress. China's first Buddhist temple is located here, as are the spectacular Longmen Grottoes, with their extensive collection of Buddhist sculptures. By late spring, peonies bloom all over the city, making this "City of Peonies" especially beautiful.

Day 1 Beijing - Luoyang Take the train from Beijing West Railway Station to Luoyang in the evening.
Overnight on the train Day 2 Luoyang (B, L) Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple Breakfast after arriving at Luoyang.
In the morning visit the Longmen Grottoes, located 12 kilometers south of Luoyang's city center. From north to south, the grottoes cover a distance of about 1 kilometer. The grottoes boast 1,352 caves, more than 100,000 statues, 40 pagodas and about 3,600 tablets with Buddhist inscriptions. The peaceful Luo River meanders its way here through steep cliffs on both sides. Above the river, thousands of Buddhist statues stand, peering out from the steep cliffs.
In the afternoon, visit the White Horse Temple (Baima Temple), located 12 kilometers away from Luoyang City. Established by the Han Dynasty in 68 AD when Buddhism started to spread, this temple is believed to be the first Buddhist temple officially built in China.
Afterwards, enjoy a short drive through the Luoyang landscape and visit an old local lady in her traditional cave-home.
Overnight in Luoyang Day 3 Luoyang - Zhengzhou - Beijing (B, L) Shaolin Temple, Zhongyue Temple Drive to Dengfeng in the morning and visit the world famous Shaolin Temple, where martial arts and kung fu are believed to have orginated. It is also the most important Buddhist temple in China. The pagoda forest in the Shaolin Temple is a concentration of tomb pagodas of eminent monks, abbots and ranking monks. With more than 250 tomb pagodas of various sizes, it is the biggest pagoda forest in China.
After lunch, watch the Shaolin martial arts show performed by the students of the local martial arts school.
In the afternoon, visit the well preserved Zhongyue Temple with its numerous Taoist buildings, listed by the State Council as a key national temple of Taoism.
Transfer to the airport in the evening for return flight to Beijing. For travel package bookings and more information please contact Hotline Beijing: +86-10-8519 8999(phone)