Are they still around? Do they have something against teaching non-Chinese people? Would I have to pay?
The temple does still exist and people do train there. Some Westerners have done so, here’s a link to a book that one fellow wrote about his experience:
Here’s the Wiki page:
There are several links to “official” sites for the Shaolin temple but I’m not sure which is for the actual temple and which ones are for the schools nearby. I do remember looking at their actual web site a few months ago and they talked about how to apply for entry.
Short answer: Yes, no and yes.
I went to China some years ago to learn shaolin. The training is extremely hard and you have to be very motivated to appreciate it. Anyways, there are probably hundred of schools where you can train shaolin in China, and the monks who work there (usually) are highly qualified. A lot of schools are located in the area around the original shaolin monastery in Henan province. The fees you pay are not very high, usually less than $400 a month - which includes accomodation and food (rice, rice and rice), but you can probably find schools where you pay less (at least if you plan to stay there for a long time). The monks have nothing against teaching foreigners, at least as long as you behave. Actually, they really appreciate foreigners as students, because it’s a great opportunity for them to learn english.
The place I stayed, which i definitely can recommend, has a website at: http://www.shaolins.com/
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