Damo Dong; The Cave of Damo
Ascending Wu Ru Feng along mountain path north of Damo Pavilion, one sees a memorial gateway built in 1604 (during the reign of Emperor Shen Zong of the Ming Dynasty.). y
Behind it, several meters away, is the cave where Damo faced the wall for nine years, according legend. In front of the gateway there are three Chinese characters; Mo Xuan Chu, meaning Where mediation leads to wonder, in the handwriting of a court literator named Hu Bin.

On its reverse is written; Dong Lai Zhao Ji, meaning He came to this eastern mountain and left his merits, written by Du Jinxi. Both inscriptions are decorated with Two Dragons Playing a Pearl and other geometrical designs.
The cave is over six meters deep, dug on the edge of a cliff. Inside it a stone statue of Damo is well preserved. There are three stone tablets outside the cave respectively set up in 1605 (Ming Dynasty), 1737 (Qing Dynasty) and in 1917. The picture on the right shows the place were the 'Shadow Rock' was chiselled out.
Poet Cao Wenheng 'Visiting Damo Cave in Five Breast Peak'

Who was it that dug the cave
Right in the Five Breast Peak
That Damo could contemplate
In all the peace of peace?
So high it rests, oh, near the stars.
Above the streaming clouds;
Though Time may change, it never does,
The cave, with his deeds and vows.

View from the cliff; in the centre is Shaolin temple.
Jia Kaizong 'Damo Cave'

Straight to the highest peak I ride
Through layers of clouds a floating by,
And stop to marvel at the cave
That's dug by a dragon said from high.

It is said that before Damo began his Buddhist cultivation in Songshan Mountain, there had been a mountain cave made by a dragon; and that at the time Damo entered the cave to meditate, a fiery dragon withdrew from the crack. The wavy surfaced rock inside the cave is allegedly due to the squirming movements of the dragon; and people say that a cliff called Yang Long Ya (Nursing dragon Cliff) still exists to the west of the cave. All these are made up stories to extol Damo’s extraordinary achievements in Buddhism. The so-called Shadow Rock left there by Damo is nothing more than an ordinary piece of veined stone.
A few steps higher up the mountain a large statue of Damo can be found. Built in 1997 and its head is already cracked. Made of white marble, which was supposed et feel cold when touched. Which it didn't when I was there; it was pretty warm that day though .... Picture on the right is a view on Wu Ru Feng from the Shaolin Wushu Hotel; the white Damo statue is visible when you're actually there.
Next is: The Four Surviving Monks