Shaolin Temple’s original founding is probably the most mythologized aspect of its history. One of its earliest written sources is a Tang-Period (618-907) short story on a historical Shaolin monk named Sengchou 480-560. Beyond that, we often say the temple was founded by Ba Tuo around 495 BCE, and has been home to such disciples as Hui Guang and Seng Chou, the earliest known martial arts monks. Imagine; kung fu training has been held in this hall for generations since.
