Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( Leifeng Ta Jingqu; adult/child ¥40/20; 8am-8.30pm Mar-Nov, 8am-5.30pm
Dec-Feb)
Topped with a golden spire, the eye-catching Leifeng Pagoda can be
climbed for fine views of the lake.
JINGCI TEMPLE
( Jingci Si; admission ¥10; 6.30am-5pm)
The serene Chan (Zen) Jingci
Temple was originally built in AD 954 and is now fully restored.
Buddhist
LINGYIN TEMPLE
( Lingyin Si; Lingyin Lu; grounds ¥35, grounds & temple ¥65; 7am-5pm)
Hangzhou's most famous Buddhist temple, Lingyin Temple was built in AD
326. Due to episodes of war and calamity, it has been destroyed and restored
no fewer than 16 times.
The main
temple buildings
are restorations of Qing-dynasty structures.
The
Great Hall
contains a magnificent 20m-high statue of Siddhartha
Gautama (Sakyamuni), sculpted from 24 blocks of camphor wood in 1956 and
based on a Tang dynasty original.
The walk up to the temple skirts the flanks of
Feilai Peak
(Feilai Feng; Peak
Flying from Afar), magically transported here from India, according to legend.
The
Buddhist carvings
(all 470 of them) lining the riverbanks and hillsides
and tucked away inside grottos, date from the 10th to 14th centuries.
Bus K7 and tourist bus Y2 (both from the train station), and tourist bus Y1
from the roads circling West Lake, go to the temple.
Buddhist
QINGHEFANG OLD STREET
At the south end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this fun, crowded and bustling ped-
estrian street ( Qinghefang Lishi Wenhua Jie), stuffed with all manner of
shops, stalls and gift shops while snacking alleys branching off from it swarm
with diners.
Street
