Fawang Temple

Fawang Temple (Chinese: 法王寺) is a modern Chinese Buddhist monastery located 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of the town of Dengfeng in Henan province, China. Situated at the bottom of the Yuzhu Peak of Mount Song, the monastery claims to be the descendant of the second Buddhist monastery constructed in China. However, the type of Buddhism espoused before the revolution was Chan (ancestor of Japanese Zen), which had not yet evolved in the time of the monastery's legendary founding.

The modern management are careful to use the term "secularized" of the associated martial arts school, defining it to mean "unconstrained by Buddhist precepts."^{[citation needed]} The martial arts school, named the "Shaolin Temple Secular Disciples' Martial Arts School" is international. In the winter off-season it trains a body of permanent students. For the rest of the year it holds training seminars of varying numbers of weeks for students unlimited by nationality or age.

The revolutionary government of the People's Republic of China has varied in its approach to this and other Buddhist monasteries. Mao Zedong ignored kung-fu as a method of serious fighting, advising his soldiers strike solid blows instead. Subsequently Mao made it known that he valued the monasteries as a Chinese tradition, and was seen touring them. However, the Cultural Revolution devalued them. That policy was reversed on Mao's death. Currently the government appears to be supportive to the monasteries as cultural assets.

The Mount Song region has become a major tourist center. Under government jurisdiction since 1949, the monasteries generally receive all the funding they need. In return they generate a large geotourist income. The monks to some degree have become showmen and acrobats. They give special displays and shows dressed in costume or with body paint and evidence considerable acrobatic agility. During the early 21st century Mount Song became a UNESCO global geopark, which requires a commitment to geotourism.

The monastery occupies a hanging valley on the south slopes of Mount Taishi, one of the peak islands of Mount Song. Yuzhufeng ("Yuzhu peak") flanks the east side. It is a ridge of peaks forming a part of the lower ridge system of Taishi, known for its scenic views. Songshan Scenic Spot is officially one of them. The monks report, "there are thousands of cliffs and valleys; the hills and forests are dense."

The valley points at Taishi. The west side of the valley is termed figuratively "the dragon," and the east side "the tiger." They "embrace each other" on the north. The southern end runs over a 300 m (980 ft) drop into the Shuyuen River. Regarding the valley, the monks find such terms as "hidden," "secret," and "secluded" appropriate.

On the east the col between two elevations of Yuzhu is termed "the Song Gate." During the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrating the equinox, the moon rises in the gate, lighting up the valley. The valley ascends from south to north, giving a view of Taishi.

The temple has its own pagoda forest (distinct from that of the Shaolin Temple) located up the slope to the north at 34°30′26″N 113°1′11″E / 34.50722°N 113.01972°E / 34.50722; 113.01972. The Fawang Temple pagodas were built mainly during the Tang dynasty (618–907), but some are later, in the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).