Dujiangyan Lingyan Temple

Dujiangyan Lingyan Temple

Dujiangyan Lingyan Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Lingyan Temple is located atop Lingyan Mountain and is officially named Lingyan Guanyin Temple, with most of its Buddhist statues dedicated to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. Hiking up the mountain, you’ll be surrounded by lush greenery, and in autumn, the colorful reds and yellows create a breathtaking view all the way to the temple entrance. Beside the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Hall stands a ginkgo tree, its sturdy branches stretching out like hands, hence the name “Thousand-Handed Ginkgo.” The golden ginkgo leaves scattered on the ground add to the serene atmosphere of the ancient temple.

The main structure of the temple is the Thousand Buddha Hall, which is also the best-preserved and largest ancient building in the temple, named for the numerous Buddha statues lining its walls. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty, the current wooden structure dates back to the Ming Dynasty reconstruction. The most captivating feature inside is the 40 clay sculptures from the Song Dynasty, which have remained remarkably well-preserved for nearly a thousand years. These sculptures depict the distinct appearances and personalities of 40 eminent monks—each vivid and lifelike, with no two alike. Liang Qichao once inscribed it as the “Finest Clay Sculptures in China.”

Protection Area: The boundary is 20 meters beyond the occupied area of the cultural relics (sites).

Construction Control Zone: The boundary is 10 meters beyond the existing perimeter wall.

Suggested Duration

3–4 hours

Transportation

Take bus No. 1 and get off at Erwangmiao Station or Moon Bay Station, then walk along the road to Lingyan Mountain for about 1 hour to reach the mountaintop.

Admission Fee

Free

Opening Hours

All day

Location

Under Qixing Rock, Lingyan Mountain, Xingfu Township, Dujiangyan City, Chengdu, Sichuan Province (behind Erwang Temple)

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units