Gufo Cave on Mount Putuo

Gufo Cave on Mount Putuo

Gufo Cave is located to the north of Feishawai. Inside the cave is enshrined the full-body relics of Monk Renguang, which is also the only mummified body on Mount Putuo, known as the “Ancient Buddha.” Monk Renguang entered nirvana in the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign, and his body remained incorrupt. His disciples applied clay, lacquer, and gold leaf to preserve his mummified form, which is enshrined in the cave. Beside the cave is the Gufo Nunnery. Though the scenery here is beautiful, it is rarely visited, making it a great spot for those seeking solitude and mystery.

Originally a natural cave, Gufo Cave on Mount Putuo gained fame during the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era when Monk Renguang took up residence in the cave. He later achieved nirvana there, and his body remained uncorrupted. This led to the cave’s renown. In the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918), Monk Kaiming and a merchant surnamed Zhang built a nunnery around the cave, consisting of 31 rooms with a total construction area of 1,230.18 square meters. At the time of Zhoushan’s liberation, two monks still lived there. In 1960, after the two monks had left, the nunnery was repurposed as office space for a company until the end of 2005, when it was officially returned to the Buddhist Association of Mount Putuo. To add new sites for worship and sightseeing within the “Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea,” and to promote the better and faster development of tourism on Mount Putuo, in early 2006, the Buddhist Association of Mount Putuo initiated a major restoration project for both the cave and the nunnery, adhering to the principle of preserving their original appearance.

The newly restored Gufo Nunnery faces east, with the sea stretching out before it, offering visitors distant ocean views and the sounds of waves close at hand.

Address: North of Feishawai, Mount Putuo, Putuo District, Zhoushan City

Type: Cave

Recommended visiting time: 10–30 minutes

Opening hours:

Open all day

Ticket information:

No admission fee. It is included within the Mount Putuo scenic area.