Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou

Lingyin Temple Introduction

Name in Chinese: 灵隐寺 (Língyǐn Sì)

Location: Downtown Hangzhou, near West Lake

Entrance fee: CNY 30 for Lingyin Temple, CNY 45 for Feilai Feng (Peak Flown From Afar). If visitors want to visit the Temple of the Soul's Retreat, they must first enter Peak Flown From Afar and buy the entrance ticket for Feilai Feng.

Opening hours: 07:00-18:15 (the sale of entrance tickets ends at 17:30)

Recommended duration of visit: 2 hours

Lingyin Temple, also known as Yunlin Temple, is an ancient and majestic Buddhist temple located in the northwest of Hangzhou, China. Its history dates back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty over 1600 years ago when Indian monk Huili arrived in Hangzhou and named the temple Lingyin, which means "Temple of the Soul's Retreat" or "Temple of Inspired Solitude." The temple flourished during the peak of the Wu Yue Dynasty in the Five Dynasties period and was recognized as one of the "Five Mountains" of Zen Buddhism in southern China during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Lingyin Temple boasts magnificent architecture with several grand buildings, including the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Great Hall of the Buddha, the Hall of Medicine Buddha, the Scripture Hall, the Hall of Huayan, and the Five Hundred Arhats Hall. These buildings are well-structured, grand, and orderly arranged, showcasing intricate craftsmanship. The temple also houses ancient sutra pillars and stone pagodas, historical relics of immense cultural significance. The newly built Five Hundred Arhats Hall features towering 1.7-meter statues weighing one ton each, making it China's largest bronze cast Five Hundred Arhats.

The temple's main attraction is the magnificent statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the center of the Great Hall of the Buddha. The statue is 19.6 meters high and is made up of 24 camphor wood blocks, exuding a captivating aura. It is the largest and most exquisite wooden Buddha statue in China, covered in gold leaf. The Hall of the Heavenly Kings and the Da Xiong Bao Dian Hall (the Hall of the Great Hero) are also noteworthy for their impressive architecture and historical significance.

Lingyin Temple is one of the oldest temples in the vicinity of West Lake and is renowned as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. It was designated a protected heritage site in 1961 as a provincial historical and cultural site and is considered a research center for Chinese Buddhist culture. It is a must-see spot for a day tour of Hangzhou. Find out the guided tour of Two days Excursion to Hangzhou.

What to see in Lingyin Temple

•  Daxiong Baodian(大雄宝殿), the core building of Lingyin Temple, with a seated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha

•   Five Hundred Arhats Hall(五百罗汉塔), with 500 Arhats and four Bodhisattvas

•   Lingyin Bronze Hall(灵隐铜塔), the tallest bronze hall in China, with exquisite forging and carving techniques, showcasing natural landscapes of four major Buddhist mountains.

•   Medicine Master Hall(药王殿), enshrining the "Three Eastern Saints" with a main statue of Medicine Buddha and two Bodhisattvas

•   Huayandian(华严殿): Tallest building in Lingyin Temple, with "Three Saints of Huayan" inside: Vairocana Buddha, Manjusri and Samantabhadra.

•   Jigong Hall with Jigong statue(济公殿和济公活佛像): 2.5-ton bronze, wearing Buddha hat, holding paper fan, left foot on wine vat, smiling face.

Public transport to Lingyin Temple

If travel like locals, you can take bus J17, J18, K837, K7, K807, Y1, Y2, or Lu and get off at Lingyin Station; take taxi to the parking lot of Lingyin Temple.

Note: bus line is updated by Oct. 2022.