A Day Trip to Lingyin Buddhist Temple (灵隐寺）

This was a wonderful little trek into nature about one hour from where I live (Hangzhou). My girlfriend's mom, aunt, and little niece were in town so we took the bus and went into the wild for the day！

Lingyin Temple. My girlfriend's mother told me that men are to enter through the left door while women enter through the right. The sea of red is prayer flags.

On the way to the bus station with my girlfriend's niece Yoyo!

This place was really scenic. The closer we got to our destination, the more wooded it became. Tall trees high above us on both sides of the street.

We got off the bus, bought our admission tickets (about 100 元 for two people or $20) and walked through the gate.

Even though it's off the beaten path, it was still pretty built up with a Starbucks at the forefront and many little shops selling knicks, knacks, and snacks.

Feilai Feng Grottoes (飞来峰). I guess the literal translation of this is "The peak that flew hither". According to legend, the rock face originally came from India and flew to Hangzhou overnight. There was a variety of different Buddhas carved into the rock-face. The bottom right looks kind of haunting...

These are found outside the temple itself next to a river full of carp. I'm not sure how old they are but my girlfriend's family said they are ancient. I know the temple itself was built around 326-328 AD and rebuilt over that time.

It's hard to tell but I wanted to post this to show that there were caves throughout as well and they had Buddha carvings as well. A nice respite from the sun.

This place is huge. There was a forest of sorts and paths winding through it so we decided to take a walk to see what we could find!

The Guardian of the Forest Path! This statue made me think of Lord of the Rings or a fantasy novel. I love fantasy and historical fiction. It almost looks like it's warning us not to enter. In reality, it's a religious figure but I couldn't tell you which one.

My photography skills leave something to be desired.

Eventually we came across a set of stairs with thick jungle-like roots hanging across it. The urge to climb was great but I figured that wouldn't make the best impression on my girlfriend's family. I'm just a child at heart.

Me and my girlfriend sitting on a tree...

After a while we found the entrance to the temple. The entrance fee was 30 元 or about $5. When we walked in I was struck by the peacefulness of it all.

Incense smoke from the prayer pits hung in the air and there was a large swathe of grass in the middle.

We each took three sticks of incense from a monk and we did a prayer. I'm no expert but everyone seemed to be bowing three times in every direction. Others took to their knees on pillows before select Buddhas.

The best part of this day was when we went inside. We lucked out with the timing because the monks and members of the temple were having their daily class/gathering.

They were gathered around a giant Buddha dressed in golden robes - Half of them were on one side of the room and half on the other. They were facing each other and the path leading to the Buddha was kept clear.

Each of them had a book open in front of them and some held bells or singing bowls. All of them were chanting and it made me feel at peace.

I wish I had a photo so share but it didn't seem appropriate so you'll just have to picture it yourself!