Brief information on Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat)  

Ling Yin Temple, located on the west bank of the famous West Lake in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, was one of the most popular scenic spots in Hangzhou. It was first built in AD326 at Eastern Jin Dynasty with a history of over 1600 years. When an Indian monk named Huili came to Hangzhou and saw how beautiful the peak was, he thought it must be the place for supernatural beings, so built a temple here called LingYin Temple.

Ling Yin Temple has undergone several renovations, and at its best has 9 buildings, 18 pavilions, 72 halls with 1300 rooms, and more than 3000 monks.

In front of the Ling Yin Temple is the Hall of the Heavenly King; at the center of the hall sit sa statue of the Buddha of Maitreya with a smiling face and a bare belly. The 33.6 meters Hall of the Great Hero is a single-storied structure with three overlapping double layered eaves. After being completely repaired in 1954, the hall was changed to the present structure, made entirely of steel and concrete, and the great hall made spacious, imposing and grand. At the centre of the Hall of the Great Hero is a 19.6 meter’s high figure of magnificent Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism. These palace, pavilion, stone pagoda, and figures of the Buddha in Ling Yin Temple have great significance in researching the history of Buddhism, the Chinese art of building, precious Chinese cultural relics.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat) if you plan to visit Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat) and have language problems.

Hours: 05:00–18:00
Address: western bank of the West Lake, next to Feilai Peak,West Lake District
Phone: 0571-56809651
Transportation: Buses:7, 807; Tourism Buses: 1, 2, 4