The Shaolin Monastery was founded in 495AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Xiaowen to accommodate an Indian monk named Batuo. But it wasn’t until a second Indian monk, Bodhidharma arrived around 527AD that the legends really began. Bodhidharma, considered the father of Zen Buddhism, is said to have meditated in a cave near the temple for nine years, facing a wall until he achieved enlightenment.

The Shaolin Monastery was founded in 495AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Xiaowen to accommodate an Indian monk named Batuo. But it wasn’t until a second Indian monk, Bodhidharma arrived around 527AD that the legends really began. Bodhidharma, considered the father of Zen Buddhism, is said to have meditated in a cave near the temple for nine years, facing a wall until he achieved enlightenment.