Lingyin Temple

Situated on the Lingyin Mountain 12 Li (3.7 miles) from Hangzhou City, Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat) is a famous scenic spot near the West Lake. The temple was initially built in 326, 1st year of Xianhe of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 - 420). The name 'Lingyin' (a fairy lives a cloistered life here) was given by an Indian monk because he thought the scenery was so peaceful and secluded that there might be a fairy living here.

Walk west along the Lingyin Road on the north of the Lingyin Mountain pass Cold Spring and you will find Lingyin Temple. The first building you will see is the Hall of Heavenly Kings. The stele with four characters 'Yun Lin Chan Si' (the temple in clouds) hanging on the entrance was inscribed by Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). Therefore, the temple is also called Yunlin Temple. In the Hall of Heavenly Kings, there is a statue of Maitreya. If you stand with your back to it, you will see a statue of Bodhisattva Skanda, a precious statue carved from a single chunk of camphor wood in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279).

Crossing the yard out of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, you will come to the Hall of Great Hero (Sakyamuni). The hall is 33.6 m (110 feet) high, taking up an area of 1,200 square meters (1,435 square yards). In the hall is a 24.8-meter-high (81.4 feet) sitting statue of Sakyamuni, carved from 24 chunks of huge camphor wood. It is one of the biggest wooden sitting statues of Buddha in China. Walking along the central axis, you will also see the Hall of Medicine Buddha (Bhaisajyaguru), the Library of Sutras, and the Hall of Flower Adornment.

Along the two sides of the temple, stand the Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats, the Hall of Master Daoji, and the Tower of Great Mercifulness. In the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, there are 500 bronze statues of Arhats situated on all sides of the hall, while in the center, there is a bronze palace of the four famous Buddhist Mountains, in which worshiped the Bodhisattva Manjusri from Mt. Wutai in Shanxi Province, the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra from Mt. E'mei in Sichuan Province, Bodhisattva Kwanyin from Mt. Putuo in Zhejiang Province, and Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha from Mt. Jiuhua in Anhui Province. The bronze palace is 12.62 m (41.4 feet) high and takes up 5 square meters (5.98 square yards) at the bottom. It has been listed in the World's Guinness Records as 'the No. 1 Indoor Bronze Palace in the World'.

In the Hall of Master Daoji is the famous monk Jigong who holding a broken fan in his right hand, with beads in the left hand, and right foot on a wine bottle. It's said that Jigong started his life as a monk in Lingyin Temple, and then traveled throughout China, and helped a lot of people out of difficulty.

 Tips:
1. The nearby Fei Lai Feng is another of the famous scenic spots of Hangzhou. It is famed for the beautiful scenery as well as the gorgeous grottoes.
2. You need to buy the ticket for Fei Lai Feng before you go to Lingyin Temple.
3. There are electric power carts in the scenic area for visitors' convenience (CNY 3 from Xiatianzhu to Fayungucun, via Tianzhuxianshi and Zhongtianzhu for a single way). 

 Entrance Fee:
CNY 30 (Lingyin Temple)
CNY 35 (Fei Lai Feng)
 Opening Hours: 07:00 - 18:00 
 Transportation: 
A. Take Bus No. J17, J18, K7, K807, Y1 or Y2 and get off at Lingyin Temple stop;
B. Take Bus No. K837 and get off at the parking lot of Lingyin Temple; 
C. Take Bus No. Y4 and get off East Gate of Lingyin Temple.

 More Top Tourist Attractions in Hangzhou:            West Lake            Xixi National Wetland Park