Shaolin kung fu
The Shaolin kung fu originated in the Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan in Dengfeng, Henan Province. It is an important sect of the Chinese martial arts, boasting the longest history, greatest diversity, widest range, and most profound cultural significance of all martial arts schools.
Mostly about real-combat fighting in its early stage, the Shaolin kung fu has evolved into a well-developed system by drawing upon the strengths of other schools and blending them with its own routines. From 1573 to 1620 in the Ming Dynasty, the monks of the Shaolin Temple introduced the Buddhist practice of meditation into medical treatment, thus integrating the Chan Buddhism (cultivating the heart), martial arts (enhancing physical fitness), and medicine (caring for the body) into a unique trio known as the "three treasures of Shaolin." For more than 1,500 years, the Shaolin kung fu has been passed down consistently without interruption, evolving from a means of defending the temple and improving physical health into a systematic cultural form with a whole set of techniques and rich connotations.
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all have major influence on the values, ethics, and dissemination of the Shaolin kung fu. The Confucian concept of benevolence, as the moral and cultural basis of martial arts, transforms the originally "violent" fighting into something that could be incorporated into the mainstream norms. The Daoist idea of "letting things take their natural course" prompts the practitioners to pursue harmony between man and nature and adapt martial arts skills to the changes of nature till a balance can be achieved between the object and the self and between the inner and the outer worlds. These two teachings, combined with the Buddhist philosophy, bear heavily on the formation and development of the Shaolin kung fu by guaranteeing its steady evolution and popularization. In 2006, the Shaolin kung fu was included in China's list of national intangible cultural heritage.
Nowadays, the Shaolin kung fu is widely spread across the world as a martial arts school of extensive and deep- going influence. It has become the epitome of the Chinese martial arts, as expressed in the saying that "all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin."
少林功夫
少林功夫发源于河南省登封市嵩山少林寺，是中国历史文化遗产——中华武术的重要组成部分，是中国武术界各大流派中历史最悠久、种类最繁多、体系最庞大、最具文化内涵的门派。
少林功夫早期形式多是实战的格斗技法，在发展中吸收各家流派之长，将少林功夫套路归纳成完备的武术体系。明朝万历年间，少林寺把禅修引入医疗之中，形成独具特色的少林医术，从而把禅宗、武术和医学融为一体，形成以“以禅修心、以武健体、以医养身”为核心的少林禅武医文化，即“少林三宝”。1500多年来，少林功夫有序传承、从未间断，由最初保护寺院、强身健体的手段，逐渐发展成为技术完备、内涵丰富的文化表现形式。
儒释道思想对于少林功夫的精神价值取向、思想伦理文化以及对外传播有着重要影响。儒家的“仁爱”观念奠定了武术的伦理道德和人文精神基础，把本来属于“暴力”行为的武术纳入到正统思想规范中；道家的“道法自然”理念，使习练者追求人与自然的和谐相通，使武术技能服从自然的变化规律，求得“物我”“内外”的平衡；二者与佛教理念相结合，成为少林功夫形成与发展的重要因素，保障了其稳定发展和普及。2006年，少林功夫入选中国国家级非物质文化遗产保护名录。
如今，少林功夫在海内外广泛传播，发展成为流传广泛、影响深远的武术流派，拥有“天下功夫出少林”之称，成为中国功夫的代名词。
