Lingyin Temple

 

Meaning Temple of the Soul's Retreat, this is a Buddhist temple at the bottom of the Beigao Peak, located west of the West Lake.

 

You can take a chairlift to the top of the hill where there is another temple, or climb up an easy set of stairs.

 

This is one of the three oldest and most famous temples of China. There are hundreds of Buddhist stone statues carved into the cliffs in the "Peak Flying from Afar" section.

 

Jingci Temple

 

Located on Nanping Road in Hangzhou, Jingci Temple is one of the four well-known ancient temples near the West Lake.

 

Built in AD 954, the temple is famous for the melodious ring of its bell, which impressed ancient poets and became an ever-appealing reference in literature.

 

Locals ring the huge 10-ton bell inside the temple 108 times on Chinese New Year. It is also rung every evening, albeit fewer times. .

 

A miraculous well in the temple is another main attraction. According to legend, a Buddhist monk with supernatural powers conjured up logs from well for reconstruction of the temple.

 

When a carpenter in charge of estimating the amount of timber needed for the project said: "It is enough," the well stopped providing wood. Therefore the last timber still remains at the bottom of the well today.

 

Taoist temple

 

Baopu Taoist Temple was built during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420) and extended during the period from the Song (AD 420-479) through the Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties. It was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

 

Taoism is a native religion of China dating back to the 2nd century AD. Lao-tzu, who founded the early Qin Taoist school, is worshiped as the father of Taoism, and his main work, The Book of the Way, forms the basis of the religion.

 

Taoism also has many other literary works and a set of comprehensive and profound doctrines. Over the years, many magnificent Taoist temples have been built in China's famous hills and mountains.

 

Memorial hall

 

Li Shutong, also known as Master Hongyi, became a monk at Hupao Monastery in 1918.

 

Li Shutong Memorial Hall was constructed next to the Hupao Teahouse near the West Lake in 1980s. Some data and photos chronicling the master's life are displayed there.

 

Feilai Peak

 

The peak gets its name from a legend.

 

Huili, a Buddhist monk from India, visited Wulin Hill (present Feilai Peak) in AD 326, the first year of the reign of Emperor Xian He of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420).

 

The monk insisted that the hill looked exactly like the Grdhrakuta, one of five mountain peaks surrounding an ancient city in India. The Grdhrakuta is said to be the place where Buddha used to impart his teachings to his students.

 

Huili wondered when the Indian peak had flown to Hangzhou.

 

To support his claim, he said that the Grdhrakuta had a white monkey and a black monkey in one of its caves.

 

When the two monkeys were indeed found in a cave in the Chinese hill, Wulin Hill was recognized as the Feilai Peak-a mountain peak that flew here. Later, the houses built there by Huili were called the Lingyin (Soul's Retreat) Temple.

 

(China Daily February 5, 2008)