Shaolin Cun; Shaolin Village
The first sign of Shaolin Village is this rather raunchy statue of a saluting Shaolin monk at the edge of the village. Actually at the beginning of the long road which leads to the Shaolin temple. After this statue many shops and restaurants and eventually the archway on the right; 'Shaolin is the number one temple under heaven'. This is also the place where you buy your ticket of 45 Yuan RMB (2001). You have to buy a ticket to enter this erea. You can try saying that you live at the Shaolin Wushu Hotel, in which case they will probably let you trough. Or take the road on the right just before the archway, which leads up to the hotel after which you're 'inside' as well. But you still have to have a ticket to actually get in the temple itself. Although there are ways to get in for free as well; put on your kung fu outfit and just barge in through the front gate like you go there everyday. If somebody stops you then you should tell them that you study at Shaolin. The next question will be who your teacher is. That is the part where it gets tricky; if you know a name of a monk who teaches and you have the guts to tell them you study under him, they will let you through. If they check it, you're done for... Another way of answering is of course in English (or any other language than Chinese for that matter), important is to keep walking when you talk, even when they grab you under the arm. Pull gently, keep smiling, keep walking and you're in!
Anyway, after a minute or two walking after you passed the archway you will see the infamous Wushu Guan (Wushu school) and the hotel that comes with it. This it the only hotel that officially takes foreigners, but I found out later that cheap-ees just beyond the temple gates also shovel in foreigners on occasions. The school also gives demo's at 14.00 h, but only when there are enough busses with (foreign) tourists around.

To the right is the stadium of the the school.

Birdseye view of the Wushu Guan area.
Also part of the compound of the Wushu Guan is a weapon factory and shop. They say that whey made all the weapons they sell, but I only say straight swords being made and the other (long) weapons looked a lot like Longquan weapons.
Almost 100 years ago, the surroundings of Shaolin looked a lot different from how it looks now. Now buildings of any kind. Although the pic below, apart from the Wushu School, doesn't look that different, does it now?
There used to be a lot of water in the stream running in front of the temple. But Henan Province is, just like many other parts of China, slowly drying up. In the little water that is left, students of the numerus schools around the temple wash their clothes, their bodies and ...other things.

Then, suddenly, the main gate of the Shaolin temple emerges. The first thing you see is the Shaolin Si Shan Men; Entrance to the Shaolin Temple. 
Shaolin Village is now totally destroyed.