Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”

The Historic Monuments of Dengfeng comprise eight groups of buildings on and around Mount Songshan, including temples, pagodas, and observatories. The sites display different architectural styles from various periods.

These sites emerged from the 6th century onward when Mount Songshan became a religious center, then were expanded and modified over centuries. Each period left new structures that show how religions and sciences developed in China.

The Shaolin Temple here has been a place where monks developed and taught fighting techniques that remain active in daily practice today. Visitors can see the training grounds and watch the everyday life of monks in the halls and courtyards.

The monument complexes lie on and around a mountain, so comfortable shoes and time to explore are important. The best time to visit is spring or autumn when the weather is mild.

An ancient astronomical station on these grounds used a large stone gnomon to determine the exact time of sun solstices. These measurements helped scholars refine the calendar and predict seasons for farming.