Category:Shifang Chan Temple

English: This building, in the shape of a reverse swastika with a pagoda in the center, is to the south of the Shaolin enclosure across the stream on the road. The name Shifang, "public," explains why it is there. The monks of Shaolin built it to offer services to any applicant from the public at large, whereas Shaolin was a private monastery (at the time), owned hereditarily by the legal family of monks governed by the abbot and very exclusive of its membership. The roles are reversed today, as Shaolin is owned by the government, but the stream is the border of the scenic spot, and Shifang is privately owned and run as a roadside business, which unofficially adopts the name "Shifang Scenic Spot." The reverse swastika is visible on the satellite maps, but Google terrain maps are misconfigured here. In media pictures the spire of the pagoda has a ball on top and the ornamental work on the roof is more detailed and extensive than on the Shaolin Bell and Drum Towers.