In the early years of watching kung Fu the television series and having Bruce Lee as one of my childhood Idols never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thouight that one day I would become a tour guide to the place that I worshiped when I was a teenager. During that period, we just came out the the Viet Nam war and visiting China was almost an impossiblility let alone takeing celerities there to visit and train kung fu. Training Martial Arts was an obsession with me, I could nerver get enough, almost like a drug addict. Little did I know that Not only would I travel to the Shaolin Temple but I would become personal friends with most of the Martial Arts Stars, live and teach Martial Arts in the Capital of China Beijing.
This is someplace that is easy for most Martial Arts student to travel to at a very inexpensive rate. You first travel to the Capital City Beijing. this is where you want to spend some time sightseeing and climbing the great wall of China. There are several different location to climb, and daily bus tours travel from the heart of Beijing to the Great Wall. You will spend about 90 minutes on the but ride to get to your destionation.
After getting there you will have about 3 hours to climb and return to the bus, and you will probably want to get a foot massage that evening when you return. On your trip back to the city you will stop by jade museum where you will have a late lunch. This is one of the largest collection of Jade I have seen anywhere, and of course the Chinese are eager to sell you some of their Jade while you look at the amazing Jade carvings.
After your climb, you can ge a 60 minute foot massage for aobut $20USD per person. this includes soaking your feet in Hot water with Chinese herbs, arm massage, shoulder massage,and a side of hot Chinese Tea.
The next day you will want to visit the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The evening would be spent at the Silk Street to do some shopping and look at some of the old designs of Beijing.
The next day you would want to spend the moring going to the Temple of Heaven where the Emperor would pray for a good Harvest for the Upcoming season. This is a great park to vist and sightsee, and when it is all done you can become an Emperor too.
After spending the day at the temple of Heaven you can travel on the subway line #5 just a few stops and visit the Lama Temple this will take you about 60 to 90 minutes to Visit.
After this visit, there is another Temple to visit just walking distance from the Lama Temple called the Temple of Earth the cost to get in is a low price of 35 cents.
After this visit, you can tip it off on one of the best restaurants in Beijing and it is one of the oldest. Located next to the Temple of Earth.
Now you have spent only three days in Beijing but have seen some of the major sights there. You can spend 4 or 5 days more. Most people want to make this a 10 day trip. Your fisrt day of arriving after that long 12 hour flight. you will need to rest upon the first day to get ready for all of the sight and travel you will be doing.
Now after seening Beijing, now you are ready to take a high-speed bullet train to Zhengzhou China, this is where you will catch a bus to take the 2 hour bus ride to the Shaolin Temple. The ride from Beijing will last about 4 hours on the high-speed rail it is quite amazing if you have never ridden on a bullet train before.
This is a great place for a Martial Arts teacher to take his student who are getting promoted to their next belt rank. When people ask when did you get promoted the student can boast not only, he got his Black Belt but he was promoted at the Shaolin Temple in China. Something they will never forget.
If you are expecting a nightlife here well the only thing here is Martial arts and more Martial Arts. So, if you love Martial Arts you will think yo have died and went to Heaven.
The Pagoda forest where all of the past Shaolin Monks have been laid to rest.
To finish off your trip between your morning kung fu training and mountain climbing the must-see is the cave of Bodhidharma.
After your three-day vist to Shaolin you will retun to beijing to get ready for your flight back.
