# Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou > Lingyin Temple is a Chan Buddhist monastery founded in 328 in the hills west of West Lake, facing Feilai Feng, a limestone peak covered in centuries-old carvings. Entry to the whole area, temple included, is now free, but you must reserve 1–7 days ahead on Alipay or WeChat with your passport. Open daily 7:30–17:30; allow 2.5–3 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple - City: [Hangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou), China - YesGo score: 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - Entry: Free, book 1–7 days ahead - With kids: Fine with kids - Admission: Free — Feilai Feng scenic area, Lingyin Temple, Yongfu and Taoguang temples on one reservation - The old two tickets: ¥45 for Feilai Feng plus ¥30 for the temple — both scrapped; older guides are out of date - Reservation: “杭州灵隐飞来峰” mini program in Alipay or WeChat, by passport, 1–7 days ahead; no same-day booking - Time slots: Morning 7:30–12:00 (enter by 13:00) or afternoon 12:00–17:00 (from 11:00) - Hours: Daily 7:30–17:30, last entry 17:00 - Fully booked?: Online waitlist until 20:00 the day before; on-site registration has been dropped - Cancelling: By 17:00 the day before; a no-show blocks new bookings for 30 days or more - Getting there: Bus 7 (or 807, Y2) to the Lingyin (灵隐) terminus; taxi from the lake ≈ 15 min - Address: 1 Lingyin Road (灵隐路1号), Xihu District - Coordinates: 30.24278, 120.09667 - Facts checked: 05.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — since 2025 for the whole area, temple included — timed reservation with your passport (source: Lingyin Temple official notice; Xinhua; Tide News) - **AD 328** — founded by the Indian monk Huili under the Eastern Jin dynasty (source: Lingyin Temple official website; English Wikipedia) - **390+** — surviving carvings in 115 niches on Feilai Feng, 10th to 14th century (source: Lingyin Management Office, interview with China News Service; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 19.6 m** — seated camphor-wood Shakyamuni Buddha; almost 25 m with its pedestal (source: ehangzhou.gov.cn city portal; English Wikipedia; China Highlights) - **≈ 34 m** — height of the triple-eaved Mahavira Hall (source: English Wikipedia; ehangzhou.gov.cn city portal) - **951** — date of the oldest dated carving on Feilai Feng, the Three Sages of the Western Paradise (source: Lingyin Management Office, interview with China News Service) - **1689** — the Kangxi Emperor gave the temple its second name, Yunlin — ‘Cloud Forest’ (source: Lingyin Temple official website; English Wikipedia) - **10th century** — the two stone sutra pillars in front of the main hall (source: English Wikipedia; ehangzhou.gov.cn city portal) - **3 temples** — in one area: Lingyin, Yongfu and Taoguang (source: Lingyin Temple official notice; Xinhua) > **No reservation, no entry** Entry is free, but only with a reservation made at least the day before: there’s no same-day booking and no walk-up registration at the gate any more. Book in the “杭州灵隐飞来峰” mini program inside Alipay or WeChat using your passport number, then bring the original passport — staff check it against your face. Weekend and holiday slots go days in advance. ## Is Lingyin Temple free? Tickets and booking Yes. The whole **Lingyin–Feilai Feng scenic area** is free: the carved peak, Lingyin Temple itself and the smaller Yongfu and Taoguang temples up the hill. It used to take **two tickets** — ¥45 at the scenic-area gate, then another ¥30 ‘incense ticket’ at the temple gate inside. Both have been scrapped, so ignore any guide that still quotes ¥75. What you need instead is a **free timed reservation**. In Alipay or WeChat, search for the mini program “杭州灵隐飞来峰”, pick a date and a slot — morning (7:30–12:00, enter by 13:00) or afternoon (12:00–17:00, not before 11:00) — and enter your passport details. Foreign passports are accepted. Booking opens at 8:00 seven days ahead and closes the day before; one phone can book up to five people, children under 14 are added by an adult, and each adult can bring up to three. If your day is full, join the online waitlist in the same mini program by 20:00 the day before. Plans changed? Cancel by 17:00 the day before: a no-show blocks you from booking for 30 days, longer for repeat offences. Visitors aged 70 and over don’t need to book. Third-party sites selling ‘e-tickets’ are charging you for a reservation that is free. To use the mini program you need a working Alipay or WeChat account; link a foreign Visa or Mastercard before you fly, and the same app pays for the bus and lunch. Keep some small yuan notes as a backup. ## What is Lingyin Temple? Lingyin Si (灵隐寺), the ‘Temple of the Soul’s Retreat’, is Hangzhou’s oldest temple and one of China’s best-known Chan (Zen) monasteries. According to the temple’s own history, the Indian monk **Huili** founded it in 328. Looking at the neighbouring peak, he asked when this mountain from India had flown here — hence **Feilai Feng**, the ‘Peak That Flew Here’. The monastery has been rebuilt many times, and most of today’s halls are late restorations, but the layout is old: halls climb the slope one behind another among camphor trees, with a stream along the cliff. In 1689 the Kangxi Emperor wrote the characters ‘Yunlin’, Cloud Forest, for the temple; that plaque hangs over the first hall. It is a working monastery with resident monks, daily services and a constant stream of worshippers with incense. Expect devotion as much as sightseeing. > **Dress code and etiquette** There’s no strict dress code, but this is an active monastery: cover shoulders and knees and skip see-through or beachwear. Take your hat off and keep your voice down in the halls. Photography is banned inside many halls — follow the signs — and don’t climb on the Feilai Feng carvings or touch statues. ## What to see at Feilai Feng and the temple - **Feilai Feng** — a limestone hill riddled with caves and paths. The Lingyin management office counts more than 390 surviving sculptures in 115 niches, carved between the 10th and 14th centuries; the oldest dated group, the Three Sages of the Western Paradise, is from 951. - **The laughing Budai** at the foot of the peak — one of the biggest and most photographed carvings, the pot-bellied Maitreya surrounded by arhats. - **Yuan-dynasty carvings** — the largest group, including figures in Tibetan Buddhist style, unusual this far east. - **The caves** — in the main Guanyin cave a crack in the roof lets in a single shaft of light, known as ‘a thread of sky’. - **Hall of the Heavenly Kings** — the first hall, with the Kangxi plaque and a camphor-wood statue of the guardian Weituo. - **Mahavira Hall** — about 34 m tall, housing a seated camphor-wood Shakyamuni Buddha of about 19.6 m, almost 25 m with its pedestal. - **Two 10th-century stone sutra pillars** in front of the main hall. - **Medicine Buddha Hall and the Hall of 500 Arhats** — further up the slope; the arhat hall is lined with larger-than-life bronze figures. - **Yongfu and Taoguang temples** — quieter, higher up the forested hill, on the same reservation. ## How to get to Lingyin Temple 1. From the **Hubin lakefront** (Metro Line 1, **Longxiangqiao**), walk to a bus stop on the north shore of the lake, such as Broken Bridge (Duanqiao, 断桥). Metro to **Fengqi Road** (Lines 1 and 2) also puts you close to bus 7. 2. Take **bus 7** along the lake to the **Lingyin** (灵隐) terminus; buses 807 and the tourist line Y2 go there too. Allow 30–40 minutes; pay with the Alipay transit QR code or small change. 3. From the terminus it’s a few minutes’ walk to the main gate of the Feilai Feng area. Independent visitors use the main gate — show your reservation and passport. 4. **By taxi or DiDi** from the lake it’s about 15 minutes and, unofficially, ¥20–25. Show the driver “灵隐寺”. 5. The metro doesn’t reach the temple. From Hangzhou East station or Xiaoshan Airport, ride Line 1 to the lake, then switch to the bus or a taxi. ## How long do you need at Lingyin Temple? Allow **2.5–3 hours** for the Feilai Feng carvings and the main halls at an easy pace. Add the climb to Yongfu and Taoguang temples and it becomes a half day — the path goes uphill through forest, with steps. The natural order: from the gate, follow the path along the carved cliff first, then go through the temple gate and up through the halls, and carry on uphill if you have the legs for it. You come back the same way, so a morning slot with lunch afterwards works best. ## Is Lingyin Temple worth it? Yes, if you have more than half a day in Hangzhou. It’s the one place in the city where serious medieval sculpture, a living monastery and forest come together, and now that it’s free the only cost is planning. The carvings on Feilai Feng are the real highlight — don’t rush past them on the way to the temple. It’s less rewarding if you only turn up at midday on a weekend, when the paths are packed, or if you can’t book in time. With only a few hours in the city, stay by [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) instead. ## What one reservation covers | | Feilai Feng area | Lingyin Temple | Yongfu and Taoguang | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Carved cliff and caves, 10th–14th century | The main monastery, halls up the slope | Small temples higher in the hills | | Before | ¥45 ticket | Another ¥30 | Covered by the area ticket | | Now | Free with reservation | Free, same reservation | Free, same reservation | | Time | ≈ 1 hour | ≈ 1.5 hours | 1–1.5 hours more with the climb | Time for each part is YesGo’s estimate. Free entry and what the area includes are from the temple’s official notice. ## Before you go Tick off what’s ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Reserved in “杭州灵隐飞来峰” at least the day before - [ ] Original passport used for the booking - [ ] I know my slot — morning or afternoon - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay working with my foreign card - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, shoes fit for steps - [ ] Not a Chinese public holiday — or I’ll be there at opening ## Temples and sacred sites in Hangzhou Hangzhou’s places of worship scored by YesGo. - [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 - [Liuhe Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/liuhe-pagoda) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥20 + ¥10 to climb the pagoda - [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead ## One day in Hangzhou: temple, lake and old street Lingyin Temple in the morning, West Lake and Leifeng Pagoda in the afternoon, Hefang Street in the evening. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and transfers. 1. [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead 2. [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55 3. [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 4. [Hefang Street](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hefang-street) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free > **Be there at 7:30** The morning slot opens at 7:30. For the first hour the Feilai Feng path is almost empty, morning services are on in the halls and the forest light is soft. Tour groups arrive around ten; by noon the paths are crowded. ## Don’t confuse Feilai Feng isn’t a separate sight with its own trip — it’s the carved peak you walk past inside the same area on the way to the temple. And ‘Lingyin Si’ on signs and maps is simply Lingyin Temple — ‘si’ means temple. [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) on the south shore of the lake is a separate sight with its own entrance. ## Tips - Book as soon as your dates are fixed: slots open at 8:00 seven days ahead, and weekends go fast. - Bring the original passport, not a photo or a copy — the reservation is in your name and checked at the gate. - Can’t make it? Cancel by 17:00 the day before, or you’ll be locked out of booking for a month. - Start with the Feilai Feng path, not the temple: the carvings get the morning light and fewer people. - Afterwards, take a taxi to [Longjing tea village](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village) or the [China National Tea Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-tea-museum) — same hills, short ride. - No smoking anywhere on site, and no flash in the halls. - Bring an umbrella for rain or sun — most of the visit is outdoors. ## Questions ### Is Lingyin Temple free? Yes. Entry to the Feilai Feng area, Lingyin Temple and the Yongfu and Taoguang temples is free, but you need a timed reservation 1–7 days ahead in the “杭州灵隐飞来峰” mini program. ### Do I need separate tickets for Feilai Feng and Lingyin Temple? Not any more. There used to be two tickets, ¥45 and ¥30; both were scrapped. One free reservation covers the whole area. ### How do foreigners book Lingyin Temple? In Alipay or WeChat, open the “杭州灵隐飞来峰” mini program, choose a date and slot and enter your passport number. Bring the same original passport to the gate. ### Can I visit Lingyin Temple without a reservation? No. Same-day booking isn’t possible and walk-up registration has been dropped; if you’re fully booked, use the online waitlist until 20:00 the day before. Only visitors 70 and over can enter without booking. ### What are Lingyin Temple opening hours? Daily 7:30–17:30, last entry 17:00, in a morning or afternoon slot. ### How do I get to Lingyin Temple from West Lake? Bus 7 from the north shore of the lake to the Lingyin terminus, 30–40 minutes, or a taxi in about 15 minutes. There’s no metro station at the temple. ### How long do you need at Lingyin Temple? 2.5–3 hours for Feilai Feng and the main halls; half a day if you climb on to Yongfu and Taoguang temples. ### Is there a dress code at Lingyin Temple? No formal one, but cover shoulders and knees, avoid see-through clothes and take your hat off in the halls. Photography is banned inside many halls. ### What is Feilai Feng? The ‘Peak That Flew Here’ — a limestone hill opposite the temple with caves and hundreds of Buddhist carvings from the 10th to 14th centuries, including the laughing Budai. ## How we checked Free entry, what the area includes, hours, time slots, accepted ID and the booking window come from the notice on the temple’s official website and match Xinhua, The Paper and Tide News. The end of on-site registration, the waitlist and the no-show penalties are from several media reports of the management office’s announcement; we didn’t open that announcement itself, so those rows are marked unofficial. Founding year: the temple and Wikipedia say 328, the city portal 326; we use 328. Buddha statue: 19.6 m per the city portal, 24.6–24.8 m including the pedestal; we give both. Carvings: the Lingyin management office counts 390-plus in 115 niches, Wikipedia more than 470 with 338 well preserved; we use the management office figure. Bus routes and taxi fares are unofficial, and guides differ slightly on route numbers. ## Sources - Lingyin Temple official website: notice on free entry by reservation — area, ID, time slots, hours - Lingyin Temple official website: history — founding, Huili, the Kangxi name - Tide News (tidenews.com.cn): reservation rules, waitlist, end of on-site registration, no-show penalties - The Paper: the two former tickets, ¥45 for the area and ¥30 for the temple, scrapped - Xinhua on the ehangzhou.gov.cn city portal: free entry to the Lingyin–Feilai Feng area - Guangming Online, Huanqiu: changes to the reservation rules - China News Service: interview with the deputy director of the Lingyin Management Office on the Feilai Feng carvings - English Wikipedia: Lingyin Temple, Feilai Feng; Wikidata Q1070228 - ehangzhou.gov.cn city portal: Lingyin Temple — address, main hall, statue - China Highlights, East China Trip, Wander in China, Lonely Planet — buses, taxi, visit length, dress code --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.