Pagoda Forest of Shaolin Temple
Pagoda Forest of Shaolin Temple
4.1
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.1
149 reviews
Excellent
58
Very good
58
Average
27
Poor
4
Terrible
2
Skeney57
Sydney, Australia25,133 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
As part of the tour to the Shaolin Temple, time permitting you can visit other sites nearby. We only had time to walk to the Buddhist Pagoda Forest but it was very interesting. It is a large burial ground for the monks with about 248 individual pagodas and hence it has the appearance of a "Forest". A nice walk with drink & ice cream choices on the way.
Written October 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sendy H
Jakarta, Indonesia303 contributions
Sep 2019 • Friends
Beautiful acknowledgement to those who have gone before us.
I did not know that Pagoda is a tomb made for those who are not only famous in their live times but also have created something noble that made people want to devote and remember them even if they are no longer alive.
I did not know that Pagoda is a tomb made for those who are not only famous in their live times but also have created something noble that made people want to devote and remember them even if they are no longer alive.
Written September 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoAnn F
Milwaukee, WI70 contributions
Oct 2017
Amazingly large monuments to Shaolin Monks. A forest of beautiful, huge ancient temples. Easy walking, nice paths. Well worth visiting!
Written August 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aline K
Lebanon76 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
Too fake too crowded if you are really looking to know the depths of kong fu is definitely not the place to be!
And do not waste your time with the show!
And do not waste your time with the show!
Written July 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John R
Cowbridge202 contributions
Aug 2016 • Business
I have briefly mentioned this when reviewing the Shaolin Temple and thought this the best bit. Strangely, many visitors to the temple seemed not to walk the further 300 metres to see the 'forest', so it was happily much less crowded. The Pagodas are over a thousand years old and are all essentially graves, with the more levels built denoting the more successful lives commemorated. They are haphazardly grouped, and there are over two hundred of them, thus the 'forest' appendage. A pity that the Chinese decided to build one very modern version at the corner, in granite, when the originals are built in red brick, but otherwise the fencing to keep vandals out is tasteful. The mountainous surroundings are beautiful, and one should set aside a whole day, preferably mid week, to take in the whole experience.
Written August 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna J
Bratislava, Slovakia50 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
The place is located a short walk from the Shaolin temple, the way is marked very clearly. The whole little field with pagodas has a fence around it, so you can´t walk between the stupas. You can walk around the whole area, if you want some nice photos the back (on the small hill) is not so crowded as the front. I suggest reading something about this site beforehand, as there are almost none explanations in english.
Written April 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary T
Xinzheng, China525 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
All but two of the buildings in Shaolin Temple itself were destroyed by a warlord in the 1920s (the current buildings have been rebuilt), but the original pagodas which house the ashes of the monks have survived. The forest itself is about 300 meters from the temple. All of the 246 stone-brick pagodas except 18 are in the forest, with the others scattered around the area. Two are located inside the temple on the west side, but are off limits to visitors. But if you want to see them, I have pictures on my GaryLeeTodd.com website which show all the pagodas, as well as 120,000 other photos of Chinese and Asian museum and historic sites. The oldest pagoda belongs to Master Fawan of the Tang Dynasty, 791 AD. Other pagodas are from the Wudai, Northern Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, along with a recent (2006 AD) one which depicts a laptop computer, bullet train, jet aircraft, and a few other things one would not expect from Buddhist monks. A few years ago you could wander freely through the forest. But stupid people left graffiti and broke some of the pagodas by climbing on them, so the whole area is now fenced off, making it nearly impossible to find Fawan's Pagoda, or many others. There are a couple of paths through the forest, so you can still see some of it up close. Fortunately I photographed all of the pagodas before the fence went up. The fence is why I downgraded my rating from "excellent" to "very good." Most pagodas are for individuals, with the number of stories reflecting the merit of the monk, but a few are group burials. Shaolin Temple itself is highly commercialized and expensive (for Chinese standards), but the Pagoda Forest is a genuine piece of Ancient China and well worth the otherwise inflated price of admission. The Wushu demonstration is entertaining, but one must remember that the performers are martial arts students and not real Shaolin monks.
Written November 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan H
Torrington, CT248 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
Very cool pagodas of various sizes and ages. Located about 500 meters away from the Shaolin Temple, this fenced off area allows protects the pagodas from tourists touching. Since most are concentrated in one area, you can usually get up to the fence and take some great pictures with no other people in your way.
Most people will focus on a small area so it's worth walking around the entire perimeter of the fence to see different views of the pagoda.
There is no extra cost associated with this view and is included with your admission ticket. Signs are available in english which tells the history of the pagodas. This is a very quick view to see and you can see it all in around 1 hour (if you walk around the fenced area) or less time if you go to one location only.
Best times to go are either the morning (if you are staying at a hotel close to the shaolin temple, even better since this gives you more options to see them when crowds are at a minimum) or later afternoon.
Most people will focus on a small area so it's worth walking around the entire perimeter of the fence to see different views of the pagoda.
There is no extra cost associated with this view and is included with your admission ticket. Signs are available in english which tells the history of the pagodas. This is a very quick view to see and you can see it all in around 1 hour (if you walk around the fenced area) or less time if you go to one location only.
Best times to go are either the morning (if you are staying at a hotel close to the shaolin temple, even better since this gives you more options to see them when crowds are at a minimum) or later afternoon.
Written August 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aussie_Binturong
Queensland, Australia369 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
I have seen so many temples but not a memorial space such as this. Always great to see something unique. Thank you Doris for all the information you provided.
Written October 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leanne T
Eatons Hill, Australia17 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Interesting history. Be prepared to walk as some distance after the Shaolin temples. At least after that they have a shuttle to take you back to the start and you can get refreshments but have cash on you.
Written May 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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