Planning a Trip
Getting There
The nearest airport and rail connections are in Zhengzhou, but air tickets can be bought at CITS at the Guolu Dalou on Beihuan Lu Xiduan (tel. 0371/6288-3442). There are luyou che (tour buses) that connect Zhengzhou directly to Shaolin Si (Shaolin Temple). Unfortunately, you waste a lot of time waiting around because buses don't leave until they're full, there's a 30-minute stop at an uninteresting temple in Dengfeng, and another stop at a random Chinese restaurant right before the mountain (everyone on my bus put up a protest and we were able to boycott the restaurant stop). What should have been a 1 1/2-hour trip can quickly turn into 2 or 2 1/2 hours. You're better off taking the 30-minute bus from Zhengzhou for ¥24 ($3.10/£1.60) to Dengfeng and grabbing a 20-minute, ¥3 (40¢/20p) minibus ride to Shaolin Si (Shaolin Temple). Minibuses also connect Dengfeng to Luoyang (every hour 8am-noon and 2-6pm; 1 1/2 hr.; ¥20/$2.60/£1.30) and Gongyi (7am-6pm; 1 hr.). In Dengfeng, all minibuses depart from the ramshackle West Bus Station (Xi Kechezhan; tel. 0371/6287-2049) on Zhongyue Dajie just west of Songyang Zhong Jie. Buy your tickets on the bus. A taxi from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng will cost about ¥400 ($52/£26), subject to negotiation.
Getting Around
The town of Dengfeng is small enough to walk or traverse by bus (¥1/15¢/10p). Bus no. 2 runs from the Songyang Academy (Songyang Shuyuan) through town to the Zhongyue Miao (temple). Bus no. 1 connects the Tianzhong Hotel with the West Bus Station.
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The Bank of China (tel. 0371/6287-5633; open Mon-Fri 9am-noon and 1:30-5pm) is at Shaolin Dadao 186. There's an ATM on the premises.
Post Office -- The main post office (tel. 0371/6287-2969; open 8am-6:30pm) is at Song Shan Lu 86 (corner of Aimin Lu).
Planning a Trip
Getting There
The nearest airport and rail connections are in Zhengzhou, but air tickets can be bought at CITS at the Guolu Dalou on Beihuan Lu Xiduan (tel. 0371/6288-3442). There are luyou che (tour buses) that connect Zhengzhou directly to Shaolin Si (Shaolin Temple). Unfortunately, you waste a lot of time waiting around because buses don't leave until they're full, there's a 30-minute stop at an uninteresting temple in Dengfeng, and another stop at a random Chinese restaurant right before the mountain (everyone on my bus put up a protest and we were able to boycott the restaurant stop). What should have been a 1 1/2-hour trip can quickly turn into 2 or 2 1/2 hours. You're better off taking the 30-minute bus from Zhengzhou for ¥24 ($3.10/£1.60) to Dengfeng and grabbing a 20-minute, ¥3 (40¢/20p) minibus ride to Shaolin Si (Shaolin Temple). Minibuses also connect Dengfeng to Luoyang (every hour 8am-noon and 2-6pm; 1 1/2 hr.; ¥20/$2.60/£1.30) and Gongyi (7am-6pm; 1 hr.). In Dengfeng, all minibuses depart from the ramshackle West Bus Station (Xi Kechezhan; tel. 0371/6287-2049) on Zhongyue Dajie just west of Songyang Zhong Jie. Buy your tickets on the bus. A taxi from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng will cost about ¥400 ($52/£26), subject to negotiation.
Getting Around
The town of Dengfeng is small enough to walk or traverse by bus (¥1/15¢/10p). Bus no. 2 runs from the Songyang Academy (Songyang Shuyuan) through town to the Zhongyue Miao (temple). Bus no. 1 connects the Tianzhong Hotel with the West Bus Station.
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The Bank of China (tel. 0371/6287-5633; open Mon-Fri 9am-noon and 1:30-5pm) is at Shaolin Dadao 186. There's an ATM on the premises.
Post Office -- The main post office (tel. 0371/6287-2969; open 8am-6:30pm) is at Song Shan Lu 86 (corner of Aimin Lu).
