Zhao Kuangyin re-unified most China, reformed the Military and Public service, instituted some practiced, including Soldier helping farmers in the fields at planting and harvesting times, that are still in practice today. He also sought to revitalize Buddhism which still had not recovered the persecutions of the latter Tang Dynasty. He sent representatives on a Buddhist mission to India to bring back Buddhist scriptures.

As a few hundred years earlier with the White Horse Temple, this was successful and much was brought back. The Emperor decided that a center for study needed to be established. Even though the Song Capitol of the time was in Kaifeng, not to far from the original White Horse Temple and Shaolin, he chose the Taoist Temple of Emei Shan. Established in the 3rd Century CE at the top of a 3km high mountain, Emai Shan was also on the way to India and Burma, the rout taking by the previous treks for Buddhist learning. It is possible that the fact that is was a Taoist Temple and not damaged by the 3rd Buddhist Persecution (where possibly 4500 main and around 40,000 minor temples were destroyed and laid waste.) and it's proximity (relative) to India and location by Henan made it the prime choice. The temples location made it less likely to be part of any future destruction of temples, and there was still one to come.