Lingyinsi

Lingyinsi is an ancient Chinese monastery, it is also called the "Temple of the Refuge of the Soul." It has existed on the territory of modern China for more than a thousand years. It occupies large territories in the northwestern part of Lake Xihu. Thanks to the beautiful pristine nature, this place once got its purpose, and since then people have been trying to get here to find peace of mind.

The history of Lingyinsi

According to one legend, the monastery was founded by a poor monk who did not earn his living by collecting firewood. One day, on a warm day, he, as always, was busy with his business. He felt hot, so he took off his outer clothes and hung them on a tree. Suddenly, a goose appeared from nowhere, he grabbed his clothes and flew away, the monk chased after him. So, making his way through the thicket of the forest, he reached a beautiful place. The monk decided that this was a sign from above and began the construction of Lingyinsi Monastery.

According to more official data, the monastery was founded in 326 by a Buddhist monk of Indian origin, who was amazed by the beauty of the local places and encouraged local residents to build. To attract more attention, they came up with a story about monkeys living in these places - white and black. To everyone's surprise, they were discovered in caves.

Lingyinsi Features

The temple complex flourished during the reign of the Qianliu Emperor, who provided the monastery with his patronage. At that time, the territory housed a large number of buildings for various purposes and was home to more than 3,000 monks. Throughout the history of its existence, the monastery has been closed and reopened, it has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.

In 1949, one of the large halls collapsed, most likely due to the dilapidation of the building and the activity of termites. In the difficult post-war years, many buildings needed to be restored, so it was decided to close the temple. Starting in 1951, the reconstruction and active restoration of the temple began. The Government has allocated significant funds for this. Today, Lingyinsi attracts tourists from all over China and from other countries of the world. People come not only to worship the local shrines, but also to admire the beautiful nature.

5 main halls of Lingyinsi

The main temple consists of five main halls for worship. The first hall, which is also the entrance to the temple, is called the Hall of the Five Heavenly Kings, in the hall there is an ancient statue of Buddha, it is about 800 years old, next to it statues of heavenly kings. Passing through the courtyard, you can enter the second hall, its main attraction is a wooden statue covered with gold. The statue was carved from camphor wood in 1956, and today it is the tallest wooden statue in all of China, with a height of over 30 meters.

The third hall is dedicated to the healing hypostasis of the Buddha, here pilgrims come to ask for health for themselves and their loved ones. Another hall was built not so long ago in 2002, it contains three statues depicting wise men. In the last fifth hall there is a sculptural composition made of bronze. It consists of 500 arhats (enlightened ones). The composition is considered to be the tallest and most massive of all such structures in the world.