Purple Bamboo Grove

Purple Bamboo Grove

Located southeast of Mount Putuo at the foot of Meitan Ridge. The rocks in the mountain are purplish-red, and when cut open, they reveal patterns resembling cypress leaves and bamboo leaves, hence the name "Purple Bamboo Stone." Later generations also planted purple bamboo here. In the second year of the Zhenming era during the Later Liang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties, Japanese monk Ejō brought a Guanyin statue from Mount Wutai. On his way back to Japan, he was forced to stop here due to strong winds, and he built the "Unwilling-to-Go Guanyin Temple" within the Purple Bamboo Grove. In front of the temple is the Tide Sound Cave. Next to the Purple Bamboo Grove is the Brightness Pool, to the south is the Guanyin Overlook, and across the water lies the island of Mount Luojia.

Located in the middle section of South Lingyun Road, the original Guanyin Hall of the Purple Bamboo Grove no longer stands on its original site. It was newly established in 1989 with flourishing purple bamboo and a 15-meter-long corridor and pavilion.

Purple Bamboo Grove is renowned far and wide as a famous scenic spot of the Guanyin Temple on Mount Putuo and one of the sacred Buddhist sites. Its highlights are not only the planted purple bamboo but also the naturally colored stones with patterns resembling purple bamboo, which are quite rare.

Address: Within the Purple Bamboo Grove, south of Baibu Sha and west of Tide Sound Cave, at the foot of Meitan Ridge in the southeastern part of Putuo District, Zhoushan City

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0580-6698221

Official website: http://www.putuoshan.travel/

Opening hours:

6:00-18:00

Ticket information:

5 RMB (includes Unwilling-to-Go Guanyin Temple and Tide Sound Cave)

Transportation

Transportation on Mount Putuo

There are two dedicated bus lines connecting most major scenic spots on Mount Putuo

Line 1: East of Puji Temple (Baibu Sha) — Baibu Pavilion — Purple Bamboo Grove (Outdoor Grand Buddha of Guanyin of the South Sea) — Enter Samadhi (South Heaven Gate) — Ferry Terminal — Haifang Xincun (Xishan Xincun Zone 1) — Seafood Park (Xishan Xincun Zone 2) — Baotuo Hotel — West of Puji Temple (Entrance to Xishan Scenic Area)

Line 2: Ferry Terminal — Enter Samadhi (South Heaven Gate) — Purple Bamboo Grove (Outdoor Grand Buddha of Guanyin of the South Sea) — Baibu Pavilion — East of Puji Temple (Baibu Sha) — Immortal Well (Chaoyang Cave) — Dacheng Nunnery — Fayu Temple (Thousand-Step Beach) — Feisha'ao — Xianghui Nunnery — Fan Yin Cave — Baoyue Nunnery — Ancient Buddha Cave — Cable Car Station

In addition to the two dedicated tourist bus lines, point-to-point shuttle buses are available between major scenic areas on Mount Putuo, with vehicles dispatched based on passenger flow using walkie-talkies.

How to get to Purple Bamboo Grove

Take Bus Line 1 from the parking lot at the Putuo Mountain Ferry Terminal and get off at “Purple Bamboo Grove”