▲ Lingyin Temple, also known as "Yunlin Temple," is located at the foot of Lingyin Mountain on the west side of West Lake. With its serene environment, it is the oldest renowned Buddhist temple in Hangzhou, preserving numerous exquisite cultural relics from various dynasties. This is where the legendary monk Ji Gong became a monk, and it is said that prayers made here are particularly efficacious, attracting a continuous stream of devotees coming to pray every day.
▲ With 1,700 years of history, Lingyin Temple has become a treasure trove of culture and heritage. The plaque inscribed with "Yunlin Chan Temple" hanging in the Heavenly King Hall was written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. The stone pagoda in front of the Great Hero Hall and the stone sutra pillar before the Heavenly King Hall are relics from the Wuyue period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era. The temple houses precious Buddhist artifacts, including ancient palm-leaf scriptures, a gilded Buddha statue from the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Dong Qichang's Ming Dynasty manuscript of the Diamond Sutra, and the Yongzheng Emperor's wooden Dragon Tripitaka from the Qing Dynasty. Lingyin Temple is also where the legendary monk Ji Gong (Daoji) was ordained. In the temple's Ji Gong Hall, a statue depicts the eccentric monk holding a broken fan in his right hand, prayer beads in his left, with his right foot resting on a wine jar.
▲ Lingyin Temple is nestled against the Northern Peak and faces Feilai Peak. Although Feilai Peak is not very high, it features numerous fantastically shaped caves and over 340 Buddhist grotto statues dating back to the Five Dynasties period, making it a rare gem of ancient grotto art in the Jiangnan region of China. The temple enjoys year-round bustling incense offerings, especially on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or during major Buddhist festivals, when devout worshippers flock from all directions, creating a sea of people.
