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Lingyin Temple
Introducing Lingyin Temple (from wikipedia)
Lingyin Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect located at the west end of the West Lake. The temple's name is literally translated as Temple of the Soul's Retreat. Lingyin Temple was founded in 328 AD during the Eastern Jin dynasty (265–420) by an Indian monk, named Huili in Chinese. From its inception, Lingyin was a famous temple in the region south of the Yangtze River. At its peak under the Wuyue Kingdom (907–978), the temple boasted nine multi-story buildings, 18 pavilions, 72 halls, more than 1300 dormitory rooms, inhabited by more than 3000 monks. Many of the rich Buddhist carvings in the Feilai Feng grottos and surrounding mountains also date from this era. During the later Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), the temple was regarded as one of the ten most important temples of the Chan sect in the region south of the Yangtze River. However, its prominence has not saved the temple from marauders. It has been rebuilt no less than sixteen times since then. The current buildings are modern restorations of late Qing (1644–1911) buildings. The current Lingyin Temple is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China.
Lingyin Temple Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Ling Yin Si 灵隐寺
• Best Time to Visit: April, May, Sept & October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 1 to 2 hours
• Type: Buddhism, garden
• Opening Hours: 07:30-18:00
• Entrance Fee: CNY 75
• Address: No.1 Fayun Alley, Lingyin Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
What to expect at Lingyin Temple
The main axis of Lingyin follows a traditional Song dynasty five-hall Chan sect structure. The main axis stretches up the Lingyin Hill. However, the five-hall axis is a recent recreation. Only the front three halls are a part of the Qing dynasty axis. The Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings is astonishing, with its four vast guardians and an ornate cabinet housing Maitreya Buddha (the future Buddha). The Mahavira Hall contains a magnificent 20m-high statue of Shakyamuni, sculpted from 24 blocks of camphor wood in 1956 and based on a Tang dynasty original.
The Hall of Heavenly Kings (from lingyinsi.org)
The formal entrance of the temple is a building with double eaves called the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. This hall is a double-eaved building. The front of the building carries a plaque (Chinese: Yúnlín Chán Sì; literally "Chan temple of the Clouds and Forests"), written by Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi. The principal statue in this hall is that of the Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the cloth bag monk, or the Laughing Buddha. At the back, facing up the hill, is the Skanda Bodhisattva, or Weituo as he is known in Chinese. This statue dates from the Southern Song Dynasty. Arranged along the left and right are the Four Heavenly Kings, and the ceiling is ornately painted and decorated with phoenixes and dragons. Visitors to the temple are often impressed by the size and majesty of the entrance hall and its statues. In fact, the hall of the Heavenly Kings at the Lingyin Temple is as large or larger than the main hall at many temples, reflecting its status as the center of Buddhism in south-eastern China throughout the ages.
Mahavira Hall (from wikipedia)
The second and principal hall is the Mahavira Hall. It is separated from the Hall of the Heavenly Kings by a large courtyard, featuring a raised lawn bordered with trees. To the left of the courtyard stands the Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats. The Mahavira Hall is triple eaved and stands 33.6 metres tall. It houses, as is traditional, a statue of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. The present statue was carved in 1956 from camphor wood in Tang dynasty style and coated with 60 taels of gold. It is the largest wooden Buddhist statue in China. At the back of the main statue is a statue of Guanyin, backed by a large screen that features the carved images of some 150 Buddhist personalities, including the pilgrims of the Journey to the West, Daoji, and arhats. Arranged along the sides of the hall are images of the 18 principal arhats, and other prominent Buddhists. The interior of the hall reaches about 30 metres, with a gold-painted ceiling featuring bas-relief images of traditional Buddhist symbols.
Hall of Bhaisajyaguru
Further uphill and behind the Mahavira Hall is the Hall of Bhaisajyaguru, housing a statue of the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, commonly called the Medicine Buddha. Rebuilt in 1993, this hall is a single-layer building with a double-eaved hip roof at seven bays across by three bays deep. The Medicine Buddha is flanked by two Bodhisattvas, Suryaprabha and Candraprabha, symbolizing sunlight and moonlight respectively. The three of them are referred to as “Three Sages from the East”, or “Three Great Medicine Bodhisattvas".
Dharma Hall (from lingyinsi.org)
Uphill from the Hall of the Medicine Buddha is the Dharma Hall. The Dharma Hall is also called “Zhizhi Hall'. Zhizhi Hall is the main place where Buddhist doctrines are expounded. “Zhizhi”, a Buddhist term of Zen Buddhism, means “straight to the heart”. The Dharma Hall of Lingyin Temple is named Zhizhi since it has been a famous place where the Buddhist rites have been performed through the ages. The name indicates that this hall is the Dharma Hall of Zen Buddhism. In the middle of the hall stands an exquisite platform made of Dongyang wood. There is a “lion seat” on it, which is the throne that masters sit on when they expound Buddhist sutras. When Master Xunyin was explaining Buddha Dharma, he said that the Dharma could destroy all evil spirits just as a lion roaring could make all the animals bow to its power. The seat was therefore named “lion seat”. On the back of the seat hangs a delicately-carved Wheel of Dharma, which is the main feature of the Dharma Hall. The so-called “Wheel of Dharma” refers to Buddha’s teaching of Dharma that can solve all troubles of human beings just as a huge wheel can crush down all the rocks and grits, and at the same time can be passed by to the next generation, not only to a single one person or at a single one place, like the wheels rotating.
Huayan Hall (from wikipedia)
The fifth and last hall on the main axis is the Avatamsaka Hall, or Huayan Hall. Built in 2002, this hall houses statues of the three sages of the Avatamsaka Sutra, known as the Huayan Sutra in Chinese - Shakyamuni, Manjusri, and Samantabhadra.
Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats (from wikipedia)
The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats is a modern addition facing onto the western side of the courtyard in front of the Mahavira Hall. The building has a complex floor plan, shaped like a Buddhist swastika. Along the arms of the swastika are arranged the five hundred arhats as slightly larger-than-life bronze statues. Each statue is seated on a unique ornate seat. At the centre, where the arms of the swastika join, stands a bronze canopy housing statues of four bodhisattvas representing the four cardinal directions. This is currently the tallest solid bronze structure in the world.
How to get to Lingyin Temple
• Take bus No. K7 or Y2 and get off at Lingyin Station.
• Take bus No 103, 121 or 324, and get off at Lingyin Dong Station.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Hangzhou to Lingyin Temple.
Additional travel advice on Lingyin Temple
• Lingyin Temple is within the Peak Flown From Afar scenic area. Admission ticket to Peak Flown From Afar is a must to visit the temple.
• Vistors can have vegetarian meals at the restaurant of the temple at a reasonable price.