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). Luyou che (tour buses) 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 ¥ 21 to Dengfeng and grabbing a 20-minute, ¥3 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) 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, subject to negotiation.
Getting Around
The town of Dengfeng is small enough to walk or traverse by bus (¥1). 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 & ATMs -- The Bank of China (tel. 0371/6287-5633; Mon-Fri 9am-noon and 2-5pm) is at Shaolin Dadao 186. An ATM is on the premises.
Post Office -- The main post office (tel. 0371/6287-2969; 8am-7pm) is at Song Shan Lu 86 (corner of Aimin Lu).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
