Temple of Soul’s Retreat

Temple of Soul’s Retreat or Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺) is nested in Xihu District (西湖区) between lush tea hills and West Lake, in an area that is full of places worth visiting:

Temple of Soul’s Retreat

Temple of Soul’s Retreat or Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺) is one of the largest and most famous Buddhist temples in China. It was founded 1700 years ago by monk named Huili (慧理和尚) from Western India. Over the years, the temple had a huge influence on the development of Buddhism in the region, even though it wasn’t always as popular as it is today. Back in the early days, in 5th century, the temple was so desolate that one of the abbots actually gathered a group of monkeys, named himself the "Father Ape" and did not much else, but played with them throughout the day.

Temple of Soul’s Retreat has been destroyed and rebuilt countless times. The number of monks varied wildly throughout the centuries, from thousands to a handful only. Nevertheless, the temple not only survived, but it flourished. Today it is one of the wealthiest, most important temples in China, a place where heads of states, religious leaders, prominent artists and intellectuals come to pay respects. The former paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) (the person who initiated the opening up of China to the world) was a regular pilgrim of the temple. Read more about him here.

The Temple of Soul’s Retreat is consisted of five halls:

• The first one is the Hall of Heavenly Kings. Inside is Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the Laughing Buddha.

• The next one, The Grand Hall houses a 24.8 high statue of Buddha Sakyamuni sitting on the lotus flower.

• The third hall, the Hall of Medicine Buddha is dedicated to the Bhaishajyaguru and two Bodhisattvas (Suryaprabha and Candraprabha), who are symbolizing sunlight and moonlight.

• Behind the Hall of Medicine Buddha is the Dharma Hall, with a “lion seat” used by Buddhist masters to sit on while teaching sutras. Delicately-carved Wheel of Dharma is its main feature.

• The fifth and the last hall of the main axis of the temple is the Avatamsaka Hall, or Huayan Hall. It houses statues of three bodhisattvas from the Avatamsaka Sutra (Huayan Sutra (华严殿) or “Garland Sutra”): Shakyamuni, Manjusri, and Samantabhadra.

Throughout the centuries, the temple hosted countless gatherings related to Buddhism, arts, calligraphy, thus not surprisingly becoming a treasure cove of precious relics. Some of them are publicly displayed. Unfortunately, descriptions are not available in English. If you are interested in temple’s heritage and teachings, search for an experienced guide, possibly specialized in this temple only.

The Peak Flown from Afar

The Temple of Soul’s Retreat is nested in between two hills. One is the Peak Flown from Afar (飞来峰), a 168 meters high limestone hill. The reason why this limestone hill is so famous is because its caves are full of Buddhist statues. Most of them were carved between 10th and 14th century. The hill and its collection of statues is right opposite the main entrance to the temple.

The Northern Peak

The other hill is the Northern Peak (北高峰) with a small temple on top. The temple is reachable by foot or by cable car. It may not seem to be special in any way until you get there, but it is actually one of a kind. Read here why.

Explanation:

Dark blue stars mark Temple of Soul’s Retreat, Peak Flown from Afar and The Northern Peak.

I also added places where you can have lunch in the surrounding area,

or a coffee and a cake.

In case you find this confusing, open the drop-down by clicking the symbol in the top left corner and uncheck what you do not want to see.

Surrounding area is full or restaurants and places where you can have a cup of coffee or a tea, including international brands like KFC and Starbucks. Many of them are located in front of the Temple of Soul's Retreat ticket office.