Lingyin Temple

Lingyin Temple

The name of Lingyin Temple or Soul's Retreat Temple comes naturally from its quiet surroundings. With deeply forested hills on three side, the temple is really a hideaway. It is one of the best-known Buddhist monasteries in China, built in 326 AD at the foot of Lingyin Mountain in Hangzhou, the capital of Eastern China's Zhejiang Province. The main hall in Lingyin Temple is about 34 meters (111ft) tall - incredibly high for an one-story building. In the center of the hall there is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which was carved from 24 pieces of camphor wood. The two stone pagodas in front of the hall were built in 960 during the Song dynasty (960-1271).