Is Shaolin Temple Open to Foreign Students in 2026?
If you've been researching kung fu training in China, you've almost certainly come across the Shaolin Temple. It's the most famous martial arts destination in the world, and for many foreigners, it's the first place they look when considering training in China.
So here's the direct answer: as of 2026, the Shaolin Temple is not accepting foreign students, and there is no confirmed date for when this will change.
If a website or recruiter is currently telling you otherwise, read this article before sending any money.
What's Actually Happening at Shaolin Temple
The Shaolin Temple's foreign student program has been closed for some time now. The closure is connected to ongoing issues surrounding Shi Yongxin, the Temple's abbot, who has faced serious accusations that have led to significant disruption in how the Temple operates.
According to a practitioner who contacted the Temple's foreign affairs office directly in late 2024, reopening to foreign students before 2027 is considered unlikely — and even that timeline is not guaranteed.
This is not a temporary pause. Several Temple-affiliated training sites have also been affected:
Shuiyu Temple, one of the most well-regarded Shaolin offshoots for foreign students, was closed to foreigners as recently as late 2024. Some sources suggest it may reopen under a new name after removing its Shaolin affiliation, but as of early 2026 the situation remains unclear.
The bottom line: if a school is advertising direct Shaolin Temple training or official Temple affiliation right now, treat that claim with serious skepticism.
Why This Matters for Your Planning
The Shaolin Temple closure creates two practical problems for foreigners planning to train in China.
First, outdated information is everywhere. Many travel blogs, YouTube videos, and even school websites were written before the closure and have not been updated. Searching "train at Shaolin Temple" still returns dozens of results that describe a program that no longer exists for foreign students. This leads people to plan trips, buy flights, and even pay deposits based on information that is no longer accurate.
Second, some schools are exploiting the confusion. Several schools in the Dengfeng area — the county where the Shaolin Temple is located — continue to use Temple imagery, Temple-adjacent language, and vague affiliation claims in their marketing. They are not lying outright, but they are deliberately blurring the line between "near Shaolin" and "at Shaolin." These are very different things.
What Are Your Options in 2026?
The good news is that the Shaolin Temple is not the only place to learn authentic Shaolin kung fu. In fact, some experienced practitioners argue it was never the best option for serious foreign students even when it was open — the foreign affairs program was designed more for short visits than deep training.
Here are the real alternatives worth considering:
Train at an Independent Shaolin-Lineage School
Several schools in and around Dengfeng teach genuine Shaolin curriculum with experienced masters, without any Temple affiliation or the complications that come with it. These schools often offer smaller class sizes, more direct access to instructors, and clearer pricing than the Temple program ever did.
One example that has received consistent positive feedback from foreign students is Shaolin Yongzhi Academy, run by Master Yongzhi, who is considered a respected figure in traditional Shaolin lineage. The school only recently opened to foreign students and follows the same curriculum used for Chinese students — not a watered-down foreigner program.
Consider Wudang Mountain
If your interest is in traditional Chinese martial arts rather than specifically Shaolin, Wudang Mountain offers a completely different but equally authentic experience. The internal arts taught there — Tai Chi, Bagua, and Wudang sword — have an unbroken lineage and several schools actively welcome foreign students year-round.
Train Outside Dengfeng
Some of the most foreigner-friendly kung fu schools in China are not in Dengfeng at all. Schools in Shandong, Jiangxi, and other provinces offer genuine training with experienced masters, often at lower costs and with better English support than schools in the overcrowded Dengfeng area.
How to Check Current Status Before You Book
Given how quickly the situation can change, here is how to verify the current status of any school before committing:
Search recent Reddit discussions. The r/martialarts and r/kungfu communities have active members who have trained in China recently. A search for the school name plus the current year will often surface recent first-hand accounts that no website will give you.
Ask the school directly about Temple affiliation. If a school claims any connection to the Shaolin Temple, ask them to explain the exact nature of that relationship in writing. A legitimate school will answer clearly. Vague responses about "the Shaolin spirit" or "Temple-inspired training" are marketing language, not affiliation.
Contact the school by video call. Ask to see the actual training facility on camera. Ask who your daily instructor will be. Ask whether the school has had any changes in operation in the past twelve months. A school with nothing to hide will answer these questions without hesitation.
The Bigger Picture
The Shaolin Temple closure is a reminder that the kung fu school market in China is more complicated than most websites suggest. Schools open and close. Affiliations change. Programs that existed two years ago may not exist today.
This is exactly why independent, regularly updated information matters. The schools listed in our directory have been vetted for current operational status, transparent pricing, and genuine training quality — not just impressive websites.
If your heart is set on the Shaolin Temple specifically, the honest advice is to wait and monitor the situation. If you want to train authentic Shaolin kung fu in China in 2026, there are excellent options available right now — just not at the Temple itself.
Quick Reference: Shaolin Temple Status 2026
| Question | Answer | |---------|--------| | Is Shaolin Temple open to foreign students? | No | | When might it reopen? | Unlikely before 2027, no confirmed date | | Is Shuiyu Temple open? | Unclear, situation ongoing | | Can I train Shaolin kung fu elsewhere in China? | Yes, several good options exist | | Should I pay a deposit to a "Temple-affiliated" school? | Only after very careful verification |
This article is updated as new information becomes available. If you have recent first-hand experience with the Shaolin Temple foreign student program or any affiliated schools, we'd welcome your input — contact us here.