Shaolin's kungfu strikes some as commercialized, but I get a kick out of it

China's vast assortment of historic temples is enough to impress just about anyone, but Westerners in particular are often drawn to them for the simple fact that we have nothing like them back home.

That said, though, it's understandable that after seeing a few and spending enough time in China, the magic of new temple experiences can sometimes fade. Beautiful as many are, once the initial exotic novelty wears off, so too can the excitement.

As it happens, one of the country's most famous and divisive, Dengfeng's Shaolin Temple, is located in my backyard. Having been there twice now, I've had a chance to experience it with the wide eyes of a new temple-goer and the more jaded eyes of someone two years into his China stay.