Shaolin Temple/Henan

The CLS program took the entire group on a trip to Henan, which was an economic and political center about 1000 years but has since become less important. The biggest attraction in Henan was Shaolin Temple, know for it's unique style of Wushu martial arts. The most interesting part of the trip to me was an overnight stay in a village near Shaolin temple that housed multiple wushu schools. At night we watched the students practice wushu in the streets, which made for some interesting photo opportunities. More photos soon to come...

Visitors pray at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, Henan, China. The White Horse Temple was reportedly the first Buddhist Temple in China.

Frills on a tapestry in the White Horse Temple in Henan, China.

Monks at a Wushu school near Shaolin Temple run laps around their village at dusk. They start training at 5am and continue until 9pm.

Students at a wushu school near Shaolin Temple practice Wushu at night in front of their school.

 The student on the right is from Carmeroon, and said he was studying there as as part of a program to improve diplomatic relations between Cameroon and China.

The door to our hotel near Shaolin Temple.

A student at a Wushu School near Shaolin Temple sits outside the front of his school at night.

A village near Shaolin Temple, Henan, China.

"Shaolin Temple"

The Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple.

A security guard at Shaolin Temple. Kind of ironic that a temple known exclusively for it's martial arts style is hiring security guards...

A Catholic church in Kaifeng China, the remnants of Catholic missionaries in Henan.

Like Beijing, Kaifang's old neighborhoods are densely packed Hutong.

A little girl at the Shanghai Train Station.

a quickr pickr post