ShaoLin Temple 2

The Shaolin temple was a Buddhist temple. Like all temples, its primary function was the promotion, research and propagation of spiritual development. The original Shaolin temple was constructed in China's Honan (Henan, Hunan) province. The words Shao-lin (Xiao-Lin) mean young forest in the modern Mandarin Chinese dialect, named so because the original temple was located near a young forest. The first Shaolin temple was constructed in the 19th year of Emperor Xiao Wen's rule during the Dynasty of North Wei for the use of a man named Fu Tuo, a Buddhist monk. The monks lived a relatively simple life of prayer, asceticism and meditation.