Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou

Lying at the foot of the Northern Peak is the Lingyin Temple, a best-known tourist attraction in Hangzhou. 'Lingyin' means 'the soul's retreat'.

Also known as 'Yunlin Chansi'(a Zen Buddhist temple in a cloudy forest) the Lingyin Temple was built in A. D. 326 by an Indian monk named 'Huili' With renovations, the temple now consists mainly of three halls: the Hall of Four Heavenly Protectors, the Great Buddha Hall and the Hall of Arhats

Facing the Lingyin Temple is the hill known as the Peak Flown From Afar'. On its slope and inside the caves are the more than 300 stone Buddha¡¯s carved during the period of the Five Dynasties, the Song and the Yuan dynasties(907-1368 A. D. ). They are national cultural heritages which are under the protection of the central government

Inside the main hall, stands the great Buddha Sakyamuni, a 19. 2m. high camphorwood statue which is the largfest wood-carving of sitting Buddha in the country. At the back, is a group of sculptures called 'Fairyland', composed of about 150 images. The two pairs of stone pagodas and stelae in front of the two halls. date from the 10th century.