The Shaolin Monastery is a Buddhist temple on Mount Song in Dengfeng, Henan province, and is regarded as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism, known in Japan as Zen. According to tradition, it was founded by the Northern Wei emperor Xiaowen in the late 5th century for the Indian monk Batuo. The Indian monk Bodhidharma is said to have taught there, but his story is largely legend. The monastery is also associated with Chinese martial arts, and monks there developed fighting styles that gained fame over the centuries. The temple suffered fires and wars, and was rebuilt many times. Today it is a major tourist site, near a World Heritage listed group of monuments.
Before and after
- 3 March 480 CEBirth of Benedict of Nursia
- from 481 CE to 843 CEFranciaf
- c. 482 CEOrigins of Kyiv
- 11 May 482 CEBirth of Justinian I
- 495 CEConstruction of Shaolin Monastery
- 5th centuryOrigins of Chufut-Kale
- 5th centurySalic law
- c. 500sRise of medieval music
- from 5th century to 7th centuryJahiliyyah
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- from 285 CE to 1453Byzantine Empire
- 25 March 421 CEFounding of Venice
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 5th century.