Hangzhou >> Lingyin Monastery

Attraction Typ: Historic Site

Location: City Centre - Central

Recommend: 5 Star

Lingyin Monastery

Lingyin Monastery is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China. It is always taken as one of the favorite attractions when people visit to Hangzhou.

Lingyin Monastery (Chinese: 灵隐寺; pinyin: Língyǐn Sì), commonly literally translated as Temple of the Soul's Retreat, is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect located north-west of Hangzhou. It is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China.

Facing the Feilai Peak ("the peak that flew hither") and standing beside the springs, the Lingyin Monastery was set up by India monk in Eastern Jing Dynasty, persistently the most famous and oldest temple in China. During Empress Wu Zetian, the Lingyin Monastery achieved its prosperous time and attracted lots of famous poets and writers.

The Lingyin Monastery owns fantastic scenery, where forests and mountains are here and there. Located in a long, narrow valley between two peaks, a red wall in the middle of the valley seems to lengthen the distance, add to the mystery of the monastery.

The Grand Hall of the Great Sage, the Hall of Heaven, the Liandeng Pavilion and the Misery Pavilion are the main building of the Lingyin Monastery. The most magnificent hall, the Grand Hall of the Great Sage, ranks the second, only inferior to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. On both sides of the hall stand two 9 stone pagodas with 9 floors, on which are carved Buddhist stories. Each hall of the monastery owns unique features and has a long history, which is badly worth to visit.

In front of the monastery, there are Cold Spring, Longhong Cave, precious rock cave arts, queer and varied natural caves and gullies, all of which add brilliance for the monastery.