Lingyin Temple, west of the famous West Lake in East China's Hangzhou city, stands at the foot of the Beigao Peak and faces the Feilai (Peak That Flew Here) Peak across a stream. With many old trees, groves of bamboo, and quiet and beautiful surroundings, the Lingyin Temple is one of the most famous temples south of the Yangtze River. There is a story about the Feilai Peak and the temple. The story is about Huili, a Buddhist monk from India who visited Wulin Hill (present Feilai Peak) in 326, the first year of the reign of Emperor Xian He of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Huili insisted that the hill looked exactly like the Grdhrakuta in India and asked when the peak had flown to Hangzhou. To fortify his claim, he said that the Grdhrakuta had a white monkey and a black monkey in one of its caves. When the two monkeys were indeed found in a cave in the hill, it was recognized as the Feilai Peak (Peak That Flew Here). Later, the houses built there by Huili were called the Lingyin (Soul's Retreat) Temple.

Photo Gallery "Lingyin Temple" I

Other Famous Temples in China:
Fayuan Temple I, II, III  
The Hanging Monastery
Songzanlin Monastery

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