ZHENGZHOU · LUOYANG
Most travellers come to Henan for Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes. Both are day visits; to stay and practise, the schools in the hills around Dengfeng take students for a few days to a few months, and Chen Village, the home of Chen-style tai chi, is an hour north of Zhengzhou.
Pagoda Forest, Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng Photo credits
Updated ·
Zhengzhou East reaches Luoyang Longmen in 36 minutes. Dengfeng, with Shaolin Temple and four schools, has no railway station: it is a 90-minute taxi from Zhengzhou airport. Short stays beside the temple start at one to three days; Gulun and Yongzhi want two weeks. Chen Village tai chi, via Jiaozuo, charges from US$25 a day. Ask each school about English.
Ask us about a stay near Zhengzhou and Luoyang| Place | Type | Getting there from Zhengzhou and Luoyang | Price | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaolin Temple Traditional Kungfu Training Center | Kung fu school in the Shaolin scenic area | Dengfeng has no railway station. The centre says Zhengzhou East is about 100 km from Shaolin, with buses from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng every 30 minutes and on to Shaolin Temple every 10 minutes; Luoyang Longmen and Gongyi South stations are also close. The centre is 300 m east of the temple. | No fixed prices: quotes depend on the room (shared dormitory to private), the length of stay (1–3 days up to a year) and the group size; meals included. | Ask; the centre takes foreign students and sends visa invitation letters. |
| Shaolin Pastoral Kungfu School (Xuantian Temple) | Kung fu school at Xuantian Temple | The school names Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport (107 km) and Luoyang Beijiao Airport (69 km) as the nearest airports, and Zhengzhou East, Luoyang Longmen and Gongyi South as the closest stations. It is at Xuantian Temple, 3.5 km east of Shaolin Temple; free pickup comes with stays of three months or more. | One week US$700, one month US$1,250, three months US$3,750; shorter stays are billed by the day. A room with shower and air conditioning, meals and tuition included. | Not stated; ask before booking. |
| Place | Type | Getting there from Zhengzhou and Luoyang | Price | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulun Chanyuan, Wu Nanfang’s academy | Internal Shaolin kung fu school | A 90-minute taxi from Zhengzhou Airport, about 200 yuan on a ride-hailing app plus a road toll, by the academy’s own guide; search “Gulun Chanyuan Dengfeng” in Didi. The academy is 15 minutes from both Dengfeng town and Shaolin Temple. | Training, meals and a dormitory bed: 350 yuan a day or 7,000 yuan a month, falling to 6,500 a month for two to three months. Two weeks is the suggested minimum; one to three months is recommended. Open year-round. | Enquiries are answered in English; the teaching language is not stated, so ask how classes are translated. |
| Shaolin Yongzhi Kung Fu School | Shaolin kung fu school | The school arranges private pickup from Zhengzhou Airport or Zhengzhou railway stations; it is in a valley near Dengfeng. New students start on the 1st or 15th of a month. | One month RMB 12,600 (including a RMB 3,300 deposit), two months RMB 24,000, three months RMB 34,200, with training, meals and shared lodging; minimum 14 days. Closed for winter from 31 December 2026 to 12 February 2027. | Teaching is mainly in Mandarin with English translation; no Mandarin is needed to apply. Adults only. |
| Place | Type | Getting there from Zhengzhou and Luoyang | Price | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chenjiagou Tai Chi School | Chen-style tai chi school | Trains from Zhengzhou East to Jiaozuo take 52 min to 1 h 14 min, and from Zhengzhou station 33–57 min (10 November 2026). The school is in Chenjiagou village, Zhaobao Town, Wen County, Jiaozuo; it publishes no directions from Jiaozuo station, so ask about pickup. | One week US$455, two weeks US$840, one month US$1,050, with a private single room, three meals a day and six training days a week; shorter stays are priced by the day. | An English translator is included in the package. |
| Chenjiagou International Taiji Institute, Chen Bing | Chen-style tai chi school | The same trains to Jiaozuo; the institute is in Chenjiagou village and publishes no directions, so ask about the last leg. | Foreign students: tuition US$25 a day or US$300 a month, plus board and lodging at US$16 per person per day (rates from 1 January 2024). Holiday classes taught by Chen Bing: 1–3 January 2027 for RMB 1,800 and 7–10 February 2027 for RMB 2,000. | Not stated by the institute; ask about translation before booking. |
The temple is inside the Shaolin scenic area. The operator’s July 2025 notice, reported by Jiemian News, gives the full-price ticket as 80 yuan, and the Henan provincial government portal (2020) lists 80 yuan with hours 07:00–18:00. Confirm current hours before you go. Checked 5 November 2026.
China’s first Buddhist temple, east of the city. Under the temple’s official WeChat notice of 31 March 2026, gates open at 07:40, ticket sales and entry stop at 18:00 and the temple closes at 18:30; tickets are sold only through the official account 洛阳白马寺, booked under your real name up to 7 days ahead (enquiries 0379-63789090). The notice does not state the ticket price. Checked 5 November 2026.
Buddhist cave sculptures carved from the fifth century on, south of the city. The official website lists a full-price ticket of 90 yuan (half price 45), with entry 08:00–18:00 from 1 March to 31 October and 08:00–17:00 from 1 November to the end of February; tickets are booked under your real name online up to 7 days ahead. Checked 5 November 2026.
Zhengzhou East is one of China’s busiest high-speed hubs. Trains to Xi’an North take 1 h 46 min to 2 h 37 min (83 trains on 10 November 2026), and one direct train a day, G1589, runs from Zhengzhou East to Wudangshan West in 3 h 07 min. Trains back from Luoyang Longmen to Zhengzhou East take 36–56 min. All times are from 12306 for 10 November 2026. Compare more places to stay and practise in our guides:
We have not visited these places. Travel times are the timetable figures for the date shown; confirm dates, prices and admission with each host.