Many believe there was only one
Shao-lin Temple, but in fact there were five Shao-lin Temples throughout the course of Chinese history. Some say there were more than five Shao-lin Temples. The exact number is ultimately irrevalent to this node.
The best known of the Temples was in Honan, located in Lo-yang, a small mountain town southwest of Beijing. This is the Shao-lin temple that most associate with the numerous martial arts styles we see today. However, this temple was destroyed in the Boxer Rebellion of 1901. It has since been rebuilt by the Chinese
government, but most of the original
styles are no longer there.
In today's Shao-lin Temple what is taught is under the control of the Chinese government. In fact many Americans who have traveled to the
Shao-lin Temple say real Ch 'uan Fa is no longer being taught there, but rather Wu Shu that is being taught by government officials posing as authentic
Shao-lin monks.
This is one of the main reasons many authentic monks have fled the Temple and have come to the United States.