Our answer
Lingyin first, then the lake 杭州寺庙
Most of Hangzhou’s great temples sit in the hills around West Lake, within reach of each other in a day or two
The short answer
The best-known temples in Hangzhou are Lingyin Temple, founded in 328 and free to enter since December 2025, and Jingci Temple on Nanping Hill by West Lake. Add the Three Tianzhu temples beyond Lingyin, the Liuhe, Leifeng and Baochu pagodas, and, further out, Jingshan Temple, linked with the tea ceremony’s spread to Japan.
| In Chinese | 杭州寺庙 (Hángzhōu sìmiào), temples of Hangzhou |
|---|---|
| Where | Hangzhou, Zhejiang province; most temples are in the hills around West Lake |
| Oldest | Lingyin Temple, founded in 328 by the Indian monk Huili |
| Most famous | Lingyin, Jingci and the Three Tianzhu temples |
| Free entry | The Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area, including Lingyin, Yongfu and Taoguang temples, since 1 December 2025, with real-name booking |
| Festival | Jingci’s bell is rung 108 times on Chinese New Year’s Eve |
Buddhist temples and pagodas in Hangzhou
The main Buddhist temples and temple pagodas in and around Hangzhou, roughly in order of fame. For how a Chinese temple is laid out, see our guide to Chinese temples.[1][2][3][4][6][7][8][9][10][12][13][14]
| Temple | Chinese | District | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingyin Temple | 灵隐寺 Língyǐn Sì | Xihu district, west of West Lake | Hangzhou’s oldest temple, founded in 328; the camphor-wood Buddha and the Feilai Feng rock carvings |
| Jingci Temple | 净慈寺 Jìngcí Sì | Xihu district, Nanping Hill, West Lake | Founded in 954; ‘Evening Bell at Nanping Hill’, one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake; the monk Ji Gong died here |
| Faxi Temple (Upper Tianzhu) | 法喜寺 Fǎxǐ Sì, 上天竺 | Tianzhu Hill, West Lake hills | Founded in 939; the largest of the Three Tianzhu temples, known for its Guanyin and its pilgrims |
| Fajing Temple (Middle Tianzhu) | 法净寺 Fǎjìng Sì, 中天竺 | Tianzhu Hill, West Lake hills | Founded in 597 by Master Baozhang, under the Sui dynasty |
| Fajing Temple (Lower Tianzhu) | 法镜寺 Fǎjìng Sì, 下天竺 | Tianzhu Hill, at the foot of Feilai Feng | The oldest of the three Tianzhu temples; a Buddhist nunnery |
| Yongfu Temple | 永福寺 Yǒngfú Sì | Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area | One of the five temples the founder of Lingyin, Huili, is said to have built; free with the scenic area |
| Taoguang Temple | 韬光寺 Tāoguāng Sì | Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area | A smaller temple inside the scenic area, free to enter since December 2025 |
| Jingshan Temple | 径山寺 Jìngshān Sì | Jingshan Mountain, north-west of the city | Founded in 745; Japanese monks who studied here carried its tea rituals to Japan |
| Xiangji Temple | 香积寺 Xiāngjī Sì | Gongshu district | Founded in 978; a Qing-dynasty pagoda of 1713, nine storeys of brick and stone; the temple was restored in 2009 |
| Mituo Temple | 弥陀寺 Mítuó Sì | Xihu district | Founded in 1878; the Amitabha Sutra carved into a cliff wall, the largest surviving cliff carving in Hangzhou; now a heritage site rather than a working temple |
| Liuhe Pagoda (Six Harmonies Pagoda) | 六和塔 Liùhé Tǎ | Yuelun Hill, above the Qiantang River | First built in 970, rebuilt by 1165; about 60 m high, thirteen storeys outside and seven inside |
| Leifeng Pagoda | 雷峰塔 Léifēng Tǎ | Xihu district, south of West Lake, in front of Jingci Temple | First built in 975, collapsed in 1924, rebuilt in 2002; the pagoda of the Legend of the White Snake |
| Baochu Pagoda | 保俶塔 Bǎochù Tǎ | Baoshi (Precious Stone) Hill, north of West Lake | First built in 963; a slender brick and stone pagoda about 45 m high, rebuilt in 1933 |
Lingyin, Yongfu and Taoguang temples are all inside the Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area, free since 1 December 2025 with real-name booking.
Taoist and memorial temples in Hangzhou
Not every temple in Hangzhou is Buddhist. These three are among the best known around West Lake.[15][16][17]
| Temple | Chinese | District | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baopu Taoist Temple (Taoist) | 抱朴道院 Bàopǔ Dàoyuàn | North of West Lake | Founded in the Jin dynasty and dedicated to the alchemist Ge Hong, whose Taoist name, Baopuzi, it bears; a sacred site of the Quanzhen school |
| Yue Fei Temple (memorial) | 岳王庙 Yuèwáng Miào | By West Lake | First built in 1221 around the tomb of the Song general Yue Fei and his son; stone figures along its spirit way |
| Temple of the Qian Kings (memorial) | 钱王祠 Qiánwáng Cí | Beside the Park of Orioles Singing in the Willows, West Lake | First built in 1079 to honour the Qian family, the 10th-century kings of Wuyue; restored in 2003 |
Highlights: the Hangzhou temples worth your time
Lingyin Temple is the one to see if you see only one. Founded in 328 by the Indian monk Huili, it is Hangzhou’s oldest temple, and the rock carvings of Feilai Feng face it across a stream. It is now free, with real-name booking.
Jingci Temple was founded in 954 by Qian Chu, king of Wuyue, for the monk Yongming Yanshou, and is the second great temple beside West Lake; with Lingyin it was called a jewel of the southern and northern hills. It is the setting of ‘Evening Bell at Nanping Hill’, one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. Its huge bronze bell, cast in 1984 and inscribed with the Lotus Sutra, is rung 108 times on Chinese New Year’s Eve for good fortune. Inside is a thousand-armed Guanyin. The eccentric monk Ji Gong spent his last years here.
The Three Tianzhu temples (天竺三寺) stand on Tianzhu Hill near Lingyin. Lower Tianzhu, at the foot of Feilai Feng, is the oldest; Middle Tianzhu dates from 597; and Upper Tianzhu, Faxi Temple, founded in 939, is the largest and best known for its stories of Guanyin. Together they hold a pilgrims’ fair every April.
Of the pagodas, the Liuhe Pagoda above the Qiantang River is the most impressive old one: about 60 m high, rebuilt by 1165 and said to have been built to calm the river’s tidal bore. Leifeng Pagoda, south of the lake, is a 2002 rebuilding of a pagoda of 975 that collapsed in 1924; folk tradition says the monk Fahai imprisoned the White Snake beneath it. North of the lake, the slender Baochu Pagoda stands on Baoshi Hill.
Further out, Jingshan Temple, founded in 745 on Jingshan Mountain, is linked with tea: Japanese monks who studied there, among them Enni Ben’en and Nanpo Shomyo, took its tea rituals home, and these fed into the Japanese tea ceremony.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][10][11][12][13][14]
How to plan a temple visit in Hangzhou
Hangzhou’s temples fall into a few clusters around West Lake. These groupings keep walking and travel time down.[2][4][7][10][12][13][14][15][17]
- 1
Lingyin and the Tianzhu temples
Book a real-name time slot for the Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area, which also takes in Yongfu and Taoguang temples, and give it a morning. The Three Tianzhu temples are nearby on Tianzhu Hill, with Lower Tianzhu at the foot of Feilai Feng.
- 2
South of West Lake
Leifeng Pagoda stands in front of Jingci Temple, so see them together.
- 3
The north shore
Baochu Pagoda on Baoshi Hill and Baopu Taoist Temple are both north of the lake and pair well.
- 4
The Qiantang River and beyond
Liuhe Pagoda is in southern Hangzhou on Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River. Jingshan Temple, in the north-west, needs a separate half-day or day trip.
Questions readers ask
What is the most famous temple in Hangzhou?
Lingyin Temple, founded in 328 by the Indian monk Huili. It is Hangzhou’s oldest temple, and the Buddhist rock carvings of Feilai Feng stand opposite it.
Is Lingyin Temple free?
Yes. Since 1 December 2025 the Lingyin and Feilai Feng scenic area, including Lingyin, Yongfu and Taoguang temples, has been free for all visitors, with real-name, timed booking.
What are the Three Tianzhu temples?
Three Buddhist temples on Tianzhu Hill near Lingyin: Lower Tianzhu (Fajing Temple, 法镜寺), the oldest; Middle Tianzhu (Fajing Temple, 法净寺), founded in 597; and Upper Tianzhu (Faxi Temple, 法喜寺), founded in 939 and the largest, known for Guanyin.
Which temple in Hangzhou rings a bell at New Year?
Jingci Temple, on Nanping Hill by West Lake. Its great bronze bell is rung 108 times on Chinese New Year’s Eve for good fortune, and its evening bell is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.
What temples are near West Lake?
Lingyin and the Three Tianzhu temples in the hills to the west, Jingci Temple and Leifeng Pagoda to the south, Baochu Pagoda and Baopu Taoist Temple to the north, and the Yue Fei Temple and Temple of the Qian Kings by the lake.
Is there a Taoist temple in Hangzhou?
Yes. Baopu Taoist Temple, north of West Lake, is dedicated to the Jin-dynasty alchemist Ge Hong and is a sacred site of the Quanzhen school of Taoism.
What is Jingshan Temple known for?
Tea. Founded in 745 on Jingshan Mountain north-west of Hangzhou, it developed its own tea ceremony, and Japanese monks who studied there, including Enni Ben’en and Nanpo Shomyo, took its tea rituals back to Japan.
Sources
- eHangzhou (Hangzhou government), Lingyin Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Xinhua, Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple opens free of charge (1 December 2025, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Lingyin Temple (official site), Brief History · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Jingci Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Lonely Planet, Jingci Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Ji Gong · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Three Temples of Tianzhu (27 July 2019) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Xiangji Temple (Zhejiang) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mituo Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- eHangzhou (Hangzhou government), Jingshan Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily, Jingshan tea ceremony (25 August 2023) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Liuhe Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Leifeng Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Baochu Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- eHangzhou (Hangzhou government), Baopu Taoist Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Yue Fei Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Temple of the Qian Kings · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction