Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is located on Liurong Road in Guangzhou. It is a historic and world-renowned ancient temple in the city. The temple features a towering pagoda, lush trees, and a wealth of cultural relics. Throughout history, many notable figures have left their footprints here. The temple got its name from the inscription made by the renowned poet Su Dongpo. It is ranked among the Four Great Buddhist Forests of Guangzhou, alongside Guangxiao, Hualin, and Haizhuang Temples. Like its famous Flower Pagoda, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees has long been praised, and shares an equal historical status with Guangxiao Temple—hence the saying “Guangxiao is known for its tree, while Jinghui (another name for the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees) is known for its pagoda.”

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is a historic and world-famous scenic site in Guangzhou. The temple features a majestic pagoda, verdant trees, and a rich collection of cultural artifacts. It is famed for its "Six Banyan Flower Pagoda" and was named one of Guangzhou’s Top Ten Tourist Attractions in 1997.

Basic Information

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is located on Liurong Road in Guangzhou. Not far from Guangxiao Temple, it is a historic and internationally renowned ancient temple. The site boasts a towering pagoda, lush greenery, and a rich collection of cultural relics, and has hosted numerous notable historical figures.

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees was originally built in the third year of the Datong era during the Liang Dynasty (537 AD). It was later destroyed by fire in the early Northern Song Dynasty. In the second year of the Jianzhong era (989 AD), the Flower Pagoda was rebuilt and the temple was renamed Jinghui Temple. When the poet Su Dongpo visited, he saw six old banyan trees in the temple and joyfully inscribed the name “Liurong” (Six Banyans). From then on, it became known as the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. The temple, like its Flower Pagoda, has long been celebrated. With a historical status equal to Guangxiao Temple, it is often described with the phrase “Guangxiao is known for its tree, while Jinghui is known for its pagoda.” Jinghui is another name for the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. The famous pagoda within the temple is called the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, but is also known as the Flower Pagoda due to its colorful exterior. Standing 57 meters tall and featuring an 11-sided base, the pagoda has nine exterior and 17 interior levels, making it a renowned high-rise ancient structure in Guangzhou. To the east of the pagoda are the mountain gate, Maitreya Hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Skanda Hall. To the west is the grand and magnificent Mahavira Hall, which houses three large bronze Buddha statues cast in 1663 during the Qing Kangxi reign. Each statue is 6 meters tall and weighs 10 tons, making them the largest surviving ancient bronze statues in Guangdong Province.

The temple also includes the Rongyin Garden, which houses the Sixth Patriarch Hall, Guanyin Hall, monastic quarters, dining hall, and Merit Hall. The Sixth Patriarch Hall contains a 1.8-meter-tall, approximately 1-ton bronze statue of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism. The statue, with a solemn expression and meditative posture, is remarkably lifelike.

The pagoda of the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees stands 57 meters tall, with eight sides and nine levels, and seventeen tiers inside. Climbing the stairs to the top offers a panoramic view of the city. The pagoda is exquisitely ornate, with bells hanging from the eaves, making the entire structure resemble a flower stalk formed by layered blossoms, with the top resembling the pistil of the highest flower. This is the second layer of meaning behind the name “Flower Pagoda.” At the pagoda’s top sits a massive bronze column of a thousand Buddhas, cast in 1358 during the Yuan Dynasty. Together with its nine-layered disc, precious jewel, and suspended iron chains, it weighs a total of 5,000 kilograms.

To the east of the Flower Pagoda are the mountain gate, Maitreya Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Skanda Hall, as well as a portrait of Su Dongpo and stone carvings including the “Liurong” inscription. There are also over ten ancient steles. To the west is the Mahavira Hall, which is 14 meters tall and covers an area of 300 square meters. It houses three large bronze Buddha statues cast in 1663 during the Qing Kangxi reign. Each statue is 6 meters tall and weighs 10 tons, with serene and benevolent expressions. They are the largest surviving ancient bronze statues in Guangdong Province. South of the hall is the newly reconstructed Sermon Hall, while Rongyin Garden contains the Sixth Patriarch Hall, Guanyin Hall, monastic quarters, dining hall, Merit Hall, and Scripture Depository.

Architectural Scale

The main hall initially built during the Southern Dynasties was located dozens of meters north of today’s Cangqian Street. During the Liang Dynasty, the eminent monk Tan Yu built a stupa for sarira in front (to the south) of the hall. When the precious stupa of Baoguangyan Temple was renovated in the early Tang Dynasty, it was described as having “gleaming jade corridors and expansive, continuous buildings.” This gives us an idea of the temple’s scale at the time. From the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the early Ming Dynasty, Jinghui Temple “stretched horizontally and vertically for over two li.” At that time, its grounds included: the east side covering the area of the current Guangdong Guesthouse, as well as Jiangjun East, Jiangjun West, and Liurong Road; the north side including Cangqian Street, Daogu Granary, and Shima Trough; the west extending to Fuquan Street, Fuquan Second Lane, Third Lane, and Jinghui Street; and the south reaching Zhongshan Sixth Road. In 1373, during the sixth year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty, most of Jinghui Temple was converted into Yongfeng Granary. In 1375, the abbot monk Yujian built the Juehuang Hall east of the pagoda, and from then on the mountain gate faced east, maintaining a basic layout of one pagoda and two halls until the early Qing Dynasty. In 1740, during the fifth year of the Qianlong reign, the temple monks “purchased nearby land extensively” to build meditation halls, dining halls, monastic dormitories, guest rooms, kitchens, gardens, and more, marking a period of “revival.” After the Opium Wars, part of the former Pingnan Prince’s residence on the eastern side of the temple grounds was occupied by the British Consulate (now the southern part of Guangdong Guesthouse). In 1921, the municipal government demolished parts of the city wall to build roads, and successively established Huatai Street (now Liurong Road) and Jinghui Park (now Guangdong Guesthouse) on the eastern side of the temple, causing the mountain gate to retreat further and connect with the Heavenly King Hall, shrinking the temple grounds once again. Today, the temple covers less than 8,000 square meters, with the combined floor space of towers, halls, chambers, towers, pavilions, corridors, and dwellings totaling 4,350 square meters. Additionally, about three kilometers northeast of the temple, on Keziling in Baiyun Mountain, there is a plot of 4,315 square meters containing ancestral stupas and tablets, which was developed into a cemetery in 1996.

The mountain gate of Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou during the Song Dynasty was located at today’s Zhongshan Sixth Road. In the early Ming Dynasty, half of the temple was allocated as Yongfeng Granary, including the mountain gate, which was also within the taken portion. In 1375, the Juehuang Hall was rebuilt east of the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, and the mountain gate was moved to face east. Starting in 1921, the Guangzhou municipal government demolished parts of the city wall to build roads, creating Huatai Street (today’s Liurong Road) on the eastern side of the temple. The mountain gate established in the early Ming Dynasty retreated again and connected with the Heavenly King Hall. The Flower Pagoda is a four-sided, six-story wooden pagoda.

The Mahavira Hall originally created during the Southern Dynasties faced south with the pagoda in front. This hall remained standing until the early Ming Dynasty, but was demolished in 1373 when half of the temple was allocated as Yongfeng Granary. In 1375, the abbot monk Yujian built the Juehuang Hall (now east of the pagoda), and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees used this hall as its main hall. The central plaque on the gate reads “Juehuang Bao Hall” in a long wooden carving. It underwent several renovations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1904, the 30th year of the Guangxu reign, the emperor bestowed a plaque inscribed with “Qingxiu Zhongken,” which was hung from the beam of the hall.

By the early Ming Dynasty, only the Thousand Buddha Pagoda and Guanyin Hall remained of Jinghui Temple. The former hall site is now the location of the Sermon Hall. The reconstructed Guanyin Hall was completed on February 10, 1988. The new hall is located east of Rongyin Garden, in front of the Sixth Patriarch Hall. It covers a construction area of 220 square meters, is 11 meters tall, and is designed primarily in the Qing Dynasty style, incorporating characteristics of southern Chinese architecture.

The Scripture Depository is located east of the former site of Jie Xing Jing She in the temple. During the mid-Ming Dynasty, Jinghui Temple was divided into eight branches, and this location was the site of the North Hall.

Address: No. 87, Liurong Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Type: Historic Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 020-83392843

Opening Hours: 8:00–17:00

Wenyuan Lane Community: Wenyuan Lane Community…… Wenyuan Lane Community detailed information++

Phone: 020-83392843

Opening hours: 8:00-17:00

Wenyuan Lane Community: Wenyuan Lane Community…… Wenyuan Lane Community detailed information++