According to historical records, Shaolin Temple was built by the emperor Hsiao Wen Ti of the Northern Wei in 495, 25 years before Bodhidharma came to China.
少林寺是北魏孝文帝為來自天竺的跋和尚所建，時間在太和十九年（西元四九五年），也就是達摩到中國的廿五年前。