Our answer
Xiamen’s Guanyin temple, and free to enter 南普陀寺
A working temple on the Wulao Peaks, named after Guanyin’s island of Putuo, with a Buddhist college founded in 1925
The short answer
Nanputuo Temple (南普陀寺, Nán Pǔtuó Sì), or South Putuo Temple, is a Buddhist temple at the foot of the Wulao Peaks in Xiamen, Fujian, next to Xiamen University. First built in the late Tang dynasty, it is known for its Guanyin hall, its Buddhist college and its vegetarian food. Entry is free with an advance booking.
| In Chinese | 南普陀寺 (Nán Pǔtuó Sì), ‘South Putuo Temple’, after Mount Putuo, Guanyin’s sacred island in Zhejiang |
|---|---|
| Where | Siming South Road (思明南路), at the foot of the Wulao Peaks, southern Xiamen Island, Fujian province |
| Founded | Late Tang dynasty, as Sizhou Temple; renamed Nanputuo in 1684 |
| Known for | Guanyin, the Minnan Buddhist College (1925), vegetarian food and views from the Wulao Peaks |
| Opening hours | 8:00–18:00; the hill behind the temple 8:00–16:00 (as of April 2026) |
| Ticket | Free, with real-name booking up to four days ahead on the temple’s WeChat mini program (as of April 2026) |
Nanputuo Temple history in brief
Accounts differ on exactly when the temple began: most date it to the end of the Tang dynasty, one to the Five Dynasties that followed. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. For how a Chinese temple is laid out in general, see our guide to Chinese temples.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Late Tang dynasty | A temple is first built on the Wulao Peaks as Sizhou Temple (泗洲院). |
| Song dynasty | Renamed Wujin Yan (无尽岩). |
| 1368 | Rebuilt at the start of the Ming dynasty and renamed Puzhao Temple (普照寺). |
| 1684 | Under the Kangxi Emperor, the Qing general Shi Lang pays to rebuild and enlarge the temple, adds a hall for Guanyin and renames it South Putuo after Mount Putuo, Guanyin’s sacred island. |
| 1924–1925 | Master Huiquan becomes the first abbot and founds the Minnan (South Fujian) Buddhist College in 1925. |
| 1927–1933 | The reformist monk Taixu serves as abbot and head of the college; the monk Hongyi also teaches there. |
| 1936 | The Sutra Pavilion is built. |
| Early 1980s | The temple is renovated into its present form. |
What to see at Nanputuo Temple
The halls climb the slope one behind another, linked by covered walkways, with a lotus pond in front. The temple covers about 25.8 hectares.
- Hall of Heavenly Kings (天王殿): brightly painted, with upturned eaves in the southern Fujian style, and a smiling Maitreya, the Laughing Buddha, facing the entrance.
- Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿): the double-eaved main hall, with three Buddhas representing the past, present and future.
- Hall of Great Compassion (大悲殿): an octagonal hall behind the main hall, dedicated to Guanyin, with a gilded thousand-armed statue of the bodhisattva.
- Sutra Pavilion (藏经阁): built in 1936, it holds Buddhist scriptures and treasures, among them a white porcelain Guanyin by the Ming potter He Chaozong and a sutra copied in blood in the Wanli reign (1573–1619).
- The hill behind: steps lead up through rocks and trees from the back of the temple to a viewpoint on the Wulao Peaks (五老峰, ‘Five Old Men Peaks’) in 20 to 35 minutes, with views over the city, Xiamen University and the sea, and a back entrance to the Xiamen Botanical Garden.
Guanyin, vegetarian food and temple customs
The temple’s name says who it is for. Mount Putuo, an island off Zhejiang, is honoured as the home of Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, and South Putuo was named for it when the Qing rebuilt the temple with a hall for her. It is one of the best-known temples among the Fujianese, and a place of pilgrimage for Fujianese Buddhists in South-east Asia; inside you will see monks chanting and worshippers lighting incense.
Many visitors stay to eat. The temple’s vegetarian restaurant, in a shady courtyard, is known for colourful dishes with poetic names. Behind the main buildings is a rock where people toss coins for luck.
Nanputuo is also a place of learning. The Minnan Buddhist College, founded at the temple in 1925, counted Hongyi and Taixu among its teachers and the monk Yinshun among its graduates; China Daily calls it the oldest Buddhist academy in China.[1][2][4][5][6][7]
Questions readers ask
Is Nanputuo Temple free?
Yes. Entry is free, but you need to book a time slot in advance with your real name on the temple’s WeChat mini program, up to four days ahead (as of April 2026). Visitors aged 60 and over can enter with ID without booking.
What are Nanputuo Temple’s opening hours?
8:00 to 18:00, with the hill area behind the temple open 8:00 to 16:00, as of April 2026.
Why is it called South Putuo Temple?
Because it was named in 1684 after Mount Putuo, the island in Zhejiang honoured as the home of Guanyin, which lies to the north. ‘Nan’ means south. The temple had earlier been called Sizhou Temple, Wujin Yan and Puzhao Temple.
How old is Nanputuo Temple?
More than a thousand years old. It was first built in the late Tang dynasty, according to most accounts, and has been rebuilt several times; it took its present name in 1684.
What is Nanputuo Temple famous for?
Its Hall of Great Compassion dedicated to Guanyin, its setting below the Wulao Peaks next to Xiamen University, the Minnan Buddhist College founded there in 1925, and its vegetarian restaurant.
How do I get to Nanputuo Temple?
It is on Siming South Road in the south-east of Xiamen Island, next to the gates of Xiamen University. City buses and taxis go there from the centre and the railway station.
Can you eat at Nanputuo Temple?
Yes. The temple runs a vegetarian restaurant in a shaded courtyard, known for colourful dishes with poetic names.
Sources
- Wikipedia, South Putuo Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Peking University Buddhism research site, Nanputuo Temple (in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily (Xiamen Foreign Affairs Office), Nanputuo Temple (13 September 2016) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily, South Putuo Temple (17 August 2018) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily (Xiamen), Nanputuo Temple (2 May 2019) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Lonely Planet, Nanputuo Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Travel, South Putuo Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Tencent News (Xiamen Bendibao), how to book Nanputuo Temple (26 April 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction