# Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, Guangzhou > The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees (六榕寺, Liurong Temple) is a working Buddhist monastery founded in 537 in old Guangzhou, crowned by the 57 m Flower Pagoda. Entry is free; it's open daily from about 8:00 to 16:30. Don't count on climbing the pagoda. Allow 30–40 minutes. Metro: Gongyuanqian, about 10 minutes' walk. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/six-banyan-temple - City: [Guangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou), China - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free since 2019, no booking - Opening hours: Daily ≈ 8:00–16:30; some sources say 17:00 - Pagoda climb: Not guaranteed — no official word on whether it's open - Address: 87 Liurong Road (六榕路87号), Yuexiu District - Metro: Gongyuanqian (Lines 1 and 2) ≈ 10 min walk; Ximenkou (Line 1) ≈ 10 min; Jinianfang (Line 2) ≈ 12 min - Time needed: 30–40 minutes; about two hours with nearby Guangxiao Temple - Dress: Cover shoulders and knees — it's a working monastery - Coordinates: 23.13088, 113.25479 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **537** — founded under the Liang dynasty, originally as Baozhuangyan Temple (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; VisitOurChina; China Xian Tour) - **57.6 m** — height of the Flower Pagoda, including its spire (source: Chinese Wikipedia; VisitOurChina) - **9 / 17** — tiers outside, floors inside the pagoda (source: Chinese Wikipedia; VisitOurChina; HPC Bristol) - **1100** — the poet Su Dongpo saw six banyans here — and gave the temple its name (source: Chinese Wikipedia; HPC Bristol; English Wikipedia) - **1663** — the main hall's three bronze Buddhas were cast — originally for Dafo Temple (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China's Key Temples (thetempleguy)) - **6 m, 10 t** — height and weight of each of the three Buddhas (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Guangzhou government portal gz.gov.cn (on the Dafo statues)) - **1.8 m, 1 t** — bronze statue of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (source: Chinese Wikipedia; VisitOurChina) - **1983** — named a National Key Buddhist Temple (source: Chinese Wikipedia; English Wikipedia (category)) - **2006** — listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site protected at national level (source: Chinese Wikipedia; English Wikipedia (category)) - **¥0** — free entry — the ¥5 ticket was dropped in 2019 (source: Yangcheng Evening News (10 Sep 2019); China Xian Tour; EastChinaTrip) > **Go before 4 pm — and don't plan on the climb** The temple shuts early: most listings say **16:30**, with no entry after that. It's free and there's no queue, but you probably won't get up the pagoda — older guides mention a paid climb, newer ones don't, and there's no official notice that it's open. Come on a weekday morning for quiet and soft light on the pagoda's tiers. ## Is the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees free? Hours and entry **Yes, entry is free.** Guangzhou's development and reform commission scrapped the ¥5 ticket from 10 September 2019, as the Yangcheng Evening News reported, and guides updated in 2025 and 2026 agree. Some older listings still quote ¥5 for the temple and ¥10 to climb the pagoda — those prices are out of date. Opening hours vary by source: China Xian Tour, EastChinaTrip and Ctrip give 8:00–16:30 with last entry at 16:30, while VisitOurChina and a few others say 17:00. We found no official timetable, so aim to arrive by 16:00. It's open every day. On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month and on Buddhist festivals the courtyard fills with worshippers. Payment: you'll only need money for incense or donations. Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card works almost everywhere in China; carry a few small yuan notes as back-up. ## What is the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees? Liurong Si (六榕寺) is a working Buddhist monastery in Yuexiu District, the historic heart of Guangzhou, and one of the city's oldest temples. Its landmark is the **Flower Pagoda** (花塔, Hua Ta): octagonal, 57.6 m tall, with nine tiers outside hiding seventeen floors inside. Its colourful eaves and spire are said to look like an opening flower — hence the name. The temple was founded in **537**, under the Liang dynasty, to house Buddhist relics brought by sea from Cambodia, and was first called Baozhuangyan Temple. It changed names several times. The current one comes from the poet **Su Dongpo** (Su Shi), who stopped here in 1100 on his way back from exile in Hainan, admired six lush banyan trees in the courtyard and wrote two characters: 六榕, 'six banyans'. According to Chinese Wikipedia, his inscription still hangs over the gate. The pagoda took its octagonal form in the late 11th century — English Wikipedia says 1097, though one historical photo archive gives 1047. It has been repaired many times since, including in the 1870s, after an early-20th-century earthquake, in the 1970s–80s and in 2001, when the walls were reinforced. Our take: for sheer age, this is the most authentic temple in central Guangzhou. It's small and calm, but it packs in a near-thousand-year-old pagoda, a famous poet and genuine 17th-century bronze Buddhas, moved here from [Dafo Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/guangzhou-dafo-temple). ## How to get to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees 1. The handiest station is **Gongyuanqian** (公园前), the Line 1 and 2 interchange that also serves [Beijing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/beijing-road). From Beijing Road itself you can also walk it in about 20 minutes. 2. From Gongyuanqian, come up on **Zhongshan Road** (中山路) and walk west about 400 m to **Liurong Road** (六榕路), then turn right (north). The temple is halfway along, about 300 m up — roughly 10 minutes in all. Guides disagree on the exit (B, E, I2), so check the station map. 3. From **Ximenkou** (西门口) on Line 1 it's the mirror image: about 450 m east along Zhongshan Road, then left onto Liurong Road — also around 10 minutes. 4. On Line 2 you can also use **Jinianfang** (纪念堂, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall) and walk south, about 12 minutes according to guides. 5. From Baiyun Airport, take Line 3 from Airport North (Terminal 2) to Tiyu Xilu and change to Line 1 for Gongyuanqian. Terminal 1 and Airport South station are currently closed for renovation. 6. By taxi or DiDi, show **六榕寺, 六榕路**. For the metro, contactless foreign Visa or Mastercard cards work at marked gates (unofficial), or use the Guangzhou Metro QR code in Alipay. ## What to see at the temple - **The Flower Pagoda** (花塔) — the reason to come. Walk all the way round it: granite at the base and, at the top, a bronze pillar that Chinese Wikipedia dates to 1358, covered in over a thousand tiny Buddhas. The pagoda stands right in front of the main hall, which is unusual in Chinese temples. - **The Mahavira Hall** (大雄宝殿) with three bronze Buddhas, each 6 m tall and 10 tonnes — Shakyamuni, Amitabha and the Medicine Buddha. They were cast in 1663 for Dafo Temple, moved here in the 1970s and installed in this hall in 1984. The ones at Dafo today are recasts. - **The Sixth Patriarch Hall** (六祖堂) — a bronze Huineng, 1.8 m tall and about a tonne. Huineng shaped southern Chan (Zen) Buddhism, and this statue is one of the temple's most revered. - **The Guanyin Hall** — a bronze goddess of mercy about 4 m tall, from the same 17th-century casting, according to Chinese Wikipedia. - **The 六榕 inscription** over the gate — the two characters by Su Dongpo that named the temple. Banyans still grow in the grounds, though the original six are long gone. - **The courtyard itself** — benches, incense burners, monks at prayer. Sit for a few minutes: the avenue outside is loud, but in here it's quiet and smells of incense. ## Can you climb the Flower Pagoda? Probably not, so don't build your visit around it. We found no official notice from the temple. Older guides mention a ¥10 climb 'when open', current ones don't mention it at all, and unofficially visitors haven't been let inside for years — most likely to protect the structure. One guide says you can go part of the way up; treat that as a lucky exception. The pagoda is worth seeing from the ground. The best view is from a corner of the courtyard where it fits into one frame with the roof of the main hall. If the climb does happen to be open on your day, ask at the gate about the price and have some cash ready. > **Temple etiquette** Monks live here and locals come to pray. Cover shoulders and knees, keep your voice down, don't touch the statues and don't step on the kneeling cushions. Ask before photographing monks or worshippers, and turn the flash off inside the halls. ## Is it worth visiting, and how long do you need? Yes, if old Guangzhou interests you. In 30–40 minutes you see a pagoda nearly a thousand years old and bronze Buddhas from the 1660s — the largest old castings of their kind in Guangdong, according to Chinese Wikipedia. Add Guangxiao Temple, six minutes' walk away, and you have the best temple hour in the city. Skip it if you're only after a climb — that's unlikely to happen — or if you expect a grand complex: the courtyard is compact and boxed in by the city. For an evening temple with lights, pick Dafo; for carving and ceramics, the [Chen Clan Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/chen-clan-academy). ## Address and what's nearby The address is 87 Liurong Road (六榕路87号), Yuexiu District. Liurong Road is a short street, about half a kilometre, running north from Zhongshan Road between Gongyuanqian and Ximenkou stations. Look for the pagoda above the rooftops and the gate with the 六榕 plaque. About 400 m west is **Guangxiao Temple** (光孝寺), an even older monastery where, by tradition, Huineng was ordained — the two make an easy pair. Some 600 m south is the historic Huaisheng Mosque, and about a kilometre north is [Yuexiu Park](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/yuexiu-park). Search map apps for 六榕寺 or Liurong Temple. Google Maps doesn't work in China without a VPN, so download an offline map before you go. Note that English Wikipedia's map pin is almost a kilometre off — go by the address. ## Six Banyan Trees or Dafo Temple? | | Six Banyan Trees | Dafo Temple | | --- | --- | --- | | Age | Founded 537, pagoda 11th century | 10th century, rebuilt 1663 | | Highlight | 57.6 m Flower Pagoda | Golden roofs of the new halls | | Bronze Buddhas | The originals, cast 1663 | Recasts of the originals | | Entry | Free | Free | | Hours | ≈ 8:00–16:30 (unofficial) | ≈ 7:30–21:30 (unofficial) | | Metro | Gongyuanqian (1, 2), Ximenkou (1) | Beijing Lu (6), Gongyuanqian (1, 2) | | Time needed | 30–40 minutes | 30–40 minutes | Dafo Temple details are from its YesGo page. Easy order: Six Banyan Trees and Guangxiao by day, Dafo under its lights in the evening — they're about a kilometre apart. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Arriving before 16:00, ideally in the morning - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card, plus a little cash - [ ] 六榕寺, 六榕路 saved for taxis; offline map downloaded - [ ] An extra hour set aside for Guangxiao Temple next door - [ ] Flash off ## Temples in Guangzhou compared Every Guangzhou place of worship YesGo has scored. - [Dafo Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/guangzhou-dafo-temple) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Shamian Island](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/shamian-island) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free, open 24 hours - [Temple of the Six Banyan Trees](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/six-banyan-temple) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Old Guangzhou in a day: academy, two temples and Beijing Road The Chen Clan Academy in the morning, the Six Banyan Trees and neighbouring Guangxiao Temple at midday, then Dafo Temple under its lights and dinner around Beijing Road. Add it to your route and YesGo will work out the timings and transfers. 1. [Chen Clan Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/chen-clan-academy) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥10 2. [Temple of the Six Banyan Trees](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/six-banyan-temple) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Dafo Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/guangzhou-dafo-temple) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 4. [Beijing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/guangzhou/beijing-road) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Don't confuse The Flower Pagoda isn't the Light Pagoda (光塔), the minaret of Huaisheng Mosque a few blocks south, and the temple isn't neighbouring Guangxiao Temple. For taxis and maps, 六榕寺 is unambiguous. ## Tips - Start at Guangxiao Temple when it opens, then walk six minutes to the Six Banyan Trees — you'll catch both courtyards while they're quiet. - Photograph the pagoda in the morning, when the sun is on its east side: the temple faces east, not south like most Chinese monasteries. - You don't need to light incense or donate to visit — both are entirely optional. - For food, head to Zhongshan Road or towards Beijing Road, 10–20 minutes' walk. - Bring water and a hat in summer: the courtyard is open to the sun and Guangzhou gets hot and humid by midday. - With kids, half an hour is plenty: the pagoda and the giant Buddhas, then on to Yuexiu Park. ## Questions ### Is the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees free? Yes. Entry has been free since 2019; the ¥5 price in older listings is out of date. ### What are the opening hours? Unofficially, daily from about 8:00 to 16:30; some listings say 17:00. Arrive by 16:00 to be safe. ### Can you climb the Flower Pagoda? Probably not. There's no official word that it's open, and unofficially visitors aren't allowed inside. Plan to see it from the courtyard. ### How do I get to the temple by metro? Take Line 1 or 2 to Gongyuanqian, or Line 1 to Ximenkou, walk along Zhongshan Road to Liurong Road and head north — about 10 minutes. ### How long do you need? 30–40 minutes for the pagoda, courtyard and halls; about two hours if you add Guangxiao Temple next door. ### Why is it called the Six Banyan Trees? In 1100 the poet Su Dongpo saw six banyans in the courtyard and wrote the characters 六榕, 'six banyans'. The name stuck. ### How tall is the Flower Pagoda? 57.6 m including the spire. It has nine tiers outside and seventeen floors inside. ### Are the Buddhas really from Dafo Temple? Yes. The three bronzes were cast in 1663 for Dafo Temple and moved here in the 1970s; Dafo now has recasts. This comes from Chinese Wikipedia, and other temple descriptions also date the statues to the 17th century. ### Is there a dress code? Nothing formal, but cover shoulders and knees — it's a working monastery. ## How we checked Free entry: the Yangcheng Evening News report of the city commission's decision effective 10 Sep 2019 (we couldn't load the article itself, only its quoted line in search results), plus China Xian Tour (Dec 2025) and EastChinaTrip (Oct 2026); VisitOurChina and old blogs still give ¥5 plus ¥10 for the pagoda, which is outdated. Hours: China Xian Tour, EastChinaTrip and Ctrip (in search results) say 8:00–16:30, VisitOurChina 8:00–17:00, one guide 6:00–17:30; Ctrip and Trip.com block automated access and there's no official timetable, so hours are marked checking. Pagoda climb: no official information; one guide says partial access, Japanese travel notes from 2016–2017 say no entry — shown as not guaranteed. Pagoda date: English Wikipedia says 1097, HPC Bristol 1047, so it's not in the key facts. The Buddhas' move from Dafo Temple (1972, installed in 1984) is from Chinese Wikipedia; China's Key Temples confirms 17th-century bronze Buddhas in the main hall. English Wikipedia's coordinates are off; walking distances are from Wikidata coordinates, times are our estimate. Metro exit letters differ between sources (B, E, I2). The English core comes from search results and related questions. ## Sources - Chinese Wikipedia — '六榕寺': founding, names, Su Dongpo, pagoda (height, tiers, 1358 pillar, repairs), Buddhas from Dafo Temple, heritage status, address - English Wikipedia — 'Temple of the Six Banyan Trees': 537, 1097 pagoda, Su Shi, temple status - Yangcheng Evening News (10 Sep 2019) — city development and reform commission decision: temple entry changed from ¥5 to free - China Xian Tour (updated 29 Dec 2025) — free entry, hours, metro stations, walking times (unofficial) - EastChinaTrip (30 Oct 2026) — free entry, hours, Gongyuanqian station (unofficial) - VisitOurChina — pagoda height and tiers, Huineng statue, old entry and climb prices (unofficial) - China's Key Temples (thetempleguy) — 17th-century bronze Buddhas in the main hall, east-facing layout - HPC Bristol, Historical Photographs of China — pagoda tiers, Su Dongpo in 1100 - Guangzhou government portal gz.gov.cn — dimensions of the 1663 Dafo Temple statues - Wanderin China — Guangzhou metro guide: foreign cards at the gates, Alipay QR (8 Sep 2026) - Wikidata — coordinates of the temple, Guangxiao Temple and metro stations, used for walking distances --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.