Tozenji Town, commonly known as South Shaolin, is opposite to Shaolin Temple in Henan. According to legend, it is the birthplace of martial arts in southern China, located at the eastern foot of Qingyuan Mountain in Quanzhou. According to legend, it was built by Zhikong, one of the thirteen stick monks who saved the Tang king. The South Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou in history is a huge architectural complex with thirteen entrances and exits, east to the foothills of Dongyue Mountain, west to the moat of Dongmen, south to the East Lake and north to the Islamic cemetery. The existing Dongchan Shaolin Temple is only a small part of Quanzhou Shaolin Temple.
The North Shaolin Temple, formerly known as "Faxing Temple", is the only lower house named "Shaolin Temple" among the "Five Shaolin Temple" established by Master Fuyu in Xueting in Yuan Dynasty. In the second year of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Renzong named it "North Shaolin Temple". North Shaolin Temple is located on the open hillside of the "middle plate" at the southern foot of Panshan Mountain in Jixian County, Tianjin. It was founded in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. It is the earliest Buddhist temple recorded in the county annals of Jixian County and the earliest temple in Tianjin.
The Historical Position of Shaolin in the North and South of China
South and North Shaolin has an important position in history. North shaolin was founded in the 19th year of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (495). It is one of the cradles of Zen Buddhism in China and occupies an important position in the history of Buddhism in China. South Shaolin is believed to have been founded in the Tang Dynasty and is the birthplace of southern martial arts. Although South Shaolin is not dominated by Zen Buddhism, it is also one of the treasures of Buddhist culture and traditional martial arts in China.
The martial arts style and meditation tradition of Shaolin in the north and south are also different. North shaolin's martial arts style is stable, focusing on internal cultivation; Wushu in South Shaolin is famous for its agility and lightness. In the tradition of meditation, north shaolin advocated "the integration of Zen and martial arts" and integrated the wisdom of Zen into martial arts; South Shaolin pays attention to "double cultivation of Zen and purity" and emphasizes the combination of pure land belief and meditation.
Generally speaking, South and North Shaolin is an important part of China's traditional culture and Buddhist culture, which has a unique historical position and value.
The above contents refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-South Shaolin Temple.