Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng 灵隐寺Língyǐn Sì

Why go to Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

Lingyin, the 'Temple of the Soul's Retreat', is one of China's best-known Chan Buddhist monasteries, tucked into a wooded valley just west of West Lake. Its great halls are lively with incense and chanting, and across a stream the limestone cliff of Feilai Feng is carved with Buddhist figures from the tenth century onwards. Together they make a half-day that mixes living religion with early sculpture.

The story

Tradition says the Indian monk Huili founded the monastery in the 320s AD, and that he took the rocky peak opposite for one that had 'flown' from India, hence the name Feilai Feng, 'the peak that flew here'. The temple has been rebuilt many times; much of what stands today dates from the late Qing and later restoration, with the rear halls added around 2000–2002.

What to see at Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

• Feilai Feng grottoes 飞来峰造像: More than 470 Buddhist carvings cover the limestone cliff and caves beside the entry path, from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms through the Song and Yuan. The best known is a shrine of the laughing Budai (Maitreya) ringed by the Eighteen Arhats.
• Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings 天王殿: The first hall inside the gate, where a smiling Maitreya faces the entrance and the guardian kings flank the aisle. Behind him stands the guardian Weituo, a statue dating from the Southern Song.
• Great Hall of the Mahavira 大雄宝殿: The main hall holds a gilded camphor-wood Sakyamuni nearly 20 m tall, carved in 1956 in Tang style and seated under a very tall triple-eaved roof. Behind it a wall of clay figures shows the pilgrimage of the youth Sudhana.
• Sutra pillars and stone pagodas 经幢和石塔: Carved stone sutra pillars beside the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings date from 969, in the Wuyue kingdom, and stone pagodas of the Wuyue and Northern Song period also survive. They are among the oldest structures on the site.
• Hall of Five Hundred Arhats 五百罗汉堂: Bronze statues of the five hundred arhats, each on its own seat, are arranged along the arms of a hall laid out on the Buddhist wan symbol. It stands near the exit side of the temple.

How to visit Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

Enter at the screen wall by the main gate and walk the paved path past Feilai Feng first; the carvings are on your left across the stream and the temple halls follow, rising up the hill on your right. Allow 40–60 minutes for the grottoes and two hours or so for the full temple route. Many people combine the monastery with the Longjing tea villages or a stroll on West Lake's western shore, which makes a full day.

How to get to Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

About 3 km west of West Lake, reached by taxi, ride-hailing or city bus from the lakeshore in 15–25 minutes, depending on traffic. From Hangzhou East station, allow about an hour by taxi, or by metro plus a short ride.

Where to stay

Base yourself in Hangzhou, around the eastern lakeshore or Wulin, where metro and hotels are plentiful; a small number of guesthouses and tea-village stays near Longjing or Lingyin are quieter.

What to eat

• Monastery vegetarian meal 素斋: Vegetarian dishes in the Buddhist tradition, built around tofu, mushrooms and wheat gluten, served at vegetarian restaurants in the temple area.
• Beggar's chicken 叫化鸡: A whole chicken stuffed, wrapped in lotus leaves and baked in clay until very tender; as 'beggar's chicken' (叫化童鸡) it is a classic of Zhejiang banquet menus and easy to find in Hangzhou.
• Longjing tea 龙井茶: The famed green tea of the hills around West Lake, served in teahouses along the lanes by the Lingyin and Longjing valleys.

Tips for visiting Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

• Entry to the Lingyin–Feilai Feng scenic area, temple included, needs a real-name reservation made at least a day ahead on the 'Hangzhou Lingyin Feilai Feng' mini-program, with daily visitor caps. Bring the passport you registered with, and check the current rules, as the booking system has been adjusted since launch.
• Go as early as you can, or on a weekday, because tour groups arrive from mid-morning and the lanes fill quickly at weekends and public holidays.
• It is an active monastery: dress modestly, keep your voice down in the halls and ask before photographing monks or worshippers.

Nearby

• West Lake 西湖 under 10 km
  The lake that taught China what a perfect landscape should look like
• Wuzhen Water Town 乌镇 70 km
  Stone bridges and lantern-lit canals in a water town that's best after dark
• Hengdian World Studios 横店影视城 120 km
  A working film backlot of palaces and old streets, run as a theme park

Also within 30 km: Feilai Feng Grottoes 飞来峰造像 (under 10 km), Tomb of Yu Qian 于谦墓 (under 10 km), Yue Fei Temple and Tomb 岳王庙 (under 10 km), Xiling Seal Engravers' Society 西泠印社 (under 10 km), Historic Buildings of the Zhejiang Library 浙江图书馆旧址 (under 10 km), Wenlan Pavilion 文澜阁 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)