Top 4 Temples You Might Like in Hangzhou

When traveling today, more and more people are adding famous local shrines to the list of places to clock in at: the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan, or, the Grand Palace or Phra Phro Four-faced Buddhist Idol in Thailand, for example.

In the thousand-year metropolis of Hangzhou no doubt there are some temples worth seeing. But you might find something you didn't expect: when you ask around with the locals, Lingyin may not be first on their lists…

# Today We're Taking You Out #

- Upper Tianzhu Dharma Joy Temple - "Blessings for a happy and healthy marriage"

- Middle Tianzhu Dharma Purity Temple - "A temple with zero admission cost"

- Lower Tianzhu Dharma Reflection Temple - "Hangzhou’s only Nunnery"

- Lingyin Temple- "Super popular, a must-see while in Hangzhou"

| The Three Temples of Tianzhu

While the tourists tend to flock towards Lingyin, more of the born and bred locals choose a visit to the three Temples of Tianzhu: Upper Tianzhu Dharma Joy, Middle Tianzhu Dharma Purity, and Lower Tianzhu Dharma Reflection, respectively, they're all famous Buddhist temples with history.

Recommended Route：Lingyin Temple – Dharma Reflection – Dharma Purity – Dharma Joy (following along Tianzhu Road)

| Dharma Joy Temple

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"Blessings for a happy and healthy marriage"

Fun Scale:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unlike Lingyin, of the people who come here to offer incense the majority are locals. When you make your visit you may also notice: compared to the usual temple-going demographic, Dharma Joy tends to draw a younger crowd.

Time: 4:00-19:00

Ticket: 10YUAN / Receive three free Joss Sticks on entry

Location: Tianzhu bus stop, Hangzhou

Transport: Public Transport-goers can get off at Upper Tianzhu bus stop

We know a couple of reasons why: One is the uber-cute and creative cultural commerce surrounding the temple – younger people love the products; the second is that this is where you'll find the memorial for late singer/actor Zhang Guorong;

All thanks to these cute Blessing

Charms, Dharma Joy made a dramatic leap from being a quiet little temple only △ Three Joss Sticks gifted upon entry visited by locals, to the net's number one "virally popular" temple.

Types of charms available include： the Matrimony Charm (Rumored to be especially efficacious!), Career Charms, Academic Charms, Financial Stability Charms and Safety Charms.

△Cultural Innovation Dharma Joy temple

(Blessing Charm, Canvas Bag)

△ Financial Stability Blessing Charm

△Safety Blessing Charm

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Amulet: 20RMB/each, with plenty of cute designs to choose from

Canvas Bag: 55RMB/each, single shoulder or across-shoulder carry

Postcard: 25RMB/set, a great memento to remember your visit

Where to buy: Inside Dharma Joy temple grounds at the Buddhist Item Sales Display OR at the Xi'zi Maomao Prayer Blessing Store（for a wider range with more choice）

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So, why not visit one weekend. Whatever you're after, be it luck with the ladies or luck making money... it could turn your world around~

Know your Charm Etiquette:

1. It's not good for an individual to purchase many charms all at once, charms don't work like that.

2. Please note, only one charm can be worn at any time.

3. Charms are said to hold their protective power for one year. Once

expired they can be kept as keepsakes

△ The view from the highest point at or brought back to the temple to be Dharma Joy Temple burned.

4. You should not open the charm itself. Once purchased keep it in your wallet, or on/in your bag (depending on the type of charm).

5. Once used by an individual, charms cannot transfer their blessings onto a second person.

6. Charms may be purchased on behalf of friends or relatives.

△ Dharma Joy Temple Meal Ticket

Vegetarian cuisine at Dharma Joy Temple is famously delicious. Planted, grown and prepared fresh by monks' hands, the dishes are seasoned gently, with strong flavors and oils avoided entirely. A meal ticket buys you a plate of cuisine + one bowl of rice. If you finish and you need more you're free to refill on both, so fill up! (Just don’t waste any!)

It may not be a buffet, and you may not be able to choose your meal, but even so, monastery alms is always deeply satisfying.

| Dharma Purity Zen Temple

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"A temple with no admission costs attached"

Fun Scale:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Time: 7:00-16:00

Ticket: Free

Public Transport: Middle Tianzhu bus stop

While not the subject of any viral internet craze, the status and number of adherents that flock to the Gwan'yin Bodhisattva ashram keep the incense fires at Dharma Purity Zen Temple burning forever bright.

Existing in the shadow of Linyin, Dharma Purity Zen Temple will seem a little lackluster to some, but to the locals and savvy small-group tourers, it's precisely this tranquil air that'll leave that lasting impression.

Places and things worth a look at Dharma Purity: The Southern Song-era Buddha Idol at Huayanbao Pavilion, Daxiongbao Hall, Yuantong Hall, Tianwang Hall and more.

| Dharma Reflection Temple

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"Hangzhou's only Nunnery"

Fun Scale:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Time: 4:00-19:00

Ticket: 10YUAN / Receive three free Joss Sticks on entry

Public Transport: Take buses 103,121b,121 or 324 and get off at Upper Tianzhu bus stop

Not as lively as Dharma Joy, but with a character of its own. Presenting Dharma Reflection.

This is the only Nunnery to be found in the region, and is also the oldest of all the Tianzhus, although today it’s hard to tell as most all the buildings have had facelifts.

Things worth seeing at Dharma Reflection:

The Golden Buddha Grotto, the Karma Stone, Lotus Spring, Luoying Spring; the Rulai Altar inside the Herbalists' Hall, and the 49 gilded Buddha statues.

| Lingyin Temple

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"Super popular, a must-see while in Hangzhou"

Fun Scale:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Time: 5:00-18:00

Ticket: 30 YUAN

Public Transport: Take buses 7,807,121 or 游1,2,4 and get off at Lingyin bus stop

If your goal is to feel the mainstream flow of Buddhist culture in Hangzhou, then Lingyin is the place you'll want to pop into for a look around, after all, this is China's oldest Buddhist monastery and one of the ten great ancient Buddhist temples on the entire mainland. Inside you'll discover a host of unique relics that have gathered here over the dynasties.

In the North, temples traditionally paint their walls red and don golden tiles. On the other hand, Lingyin takes a color scheme of yellow walls and black rooves, creating a stark contrast that generates a feeling of crisp clarity. The aesthetic is part of the reason this Temple is considered a classic check-in point for SNS photo snaps while in Hangzhou.

The temple buildings are found in the Peak Flown from Afar scenic zone, so swinging by to check out the Buddha stone grotto statue caves is easy and convenient. People say prayers at Lingyin are the most often heard. Judging by the sheer number of inbound adherents, it’s hard to argue.

△Peak Flown from Afar Stone Grotto

There are certain scenic elements at Lingyin that are artfully aesthetic and brilliant, for instance, the thicket of bamboo forest between the Scripture Library pavilion and Huayan Hall, which perfectly complements the background of wrapping yellow walls and red paint of the pavilion. If you're in an admiring sort of mood, you'll find such beautiful ornamental sights throughout the grounds.

We recommend that those wishing to enter the Peak Flown from Afar scenic zone purchase entry online ahead of time as the ticket lines can belong. But never fear, you can also skip the line by scanning and buying via the QR code nearby.

△A Prayer Scene at Lingyin Temple

# Some Points on Temple Etiquette #

1. Do not stand on Temple door thresholds

2. Wear tidy, clean clothing. Above-knee short skirts/shorts shouldn't be worn

3. Respect prayer areas, do not photograph Buddhist idols (however, scenery and architecture may be photographed)

4. When lighting incense, remember not to blow on them, wave your hand to fan and extinguish flames

5. When inside temples, one should visit internal buildings in clockwise rotation (because the Buddhist ancestors turn the eight-spoked wheel clockwise)

6. When making prayers, 3 bows is sufficient