Wolong Temple
Founded in the late Han dynasty (originally named Lingying Temple), one of the ancestral temples of Chan (Zen) Buddhism: Master Xuyun (Hsu Yun) received his ordination here, and the temple houses numerous woodblock sutra plates and stone steles
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 08:00-17:00
- Ticket
- Free
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
Founded in the late Han dynasty (originally named Lingying Temple), one of the ancestral temples of Chan (Zen) Buddhism: Master Xuyun (Hsu Yun) received his ordination here, and the temple houses numerous woodblock sutra plates and stone steles; the episode of Kang Youwei borrowing the sutras (the Qisha Tripitaka affair) is one of its modern anecdotes. Free admission, 08:00-17:00, within walking distance of Yongningmen Station on Metro Line 2 — a quiet interlude amid the bustling city.
Getting there: Metro Line 2, Yongningmen Station
Photos
More in Xi'an
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda with nightly musical fountain.
- Muslim Quarter
Lantern-lit food alleys behind the Drum Tower since the Tang dynasty.
- Terracotta Army
8,000 life-size clay warriors guarding Emperor Qin Shi Huang since 210 BC.
- Xi'an City Wall
Ride a bicycle on the best-preserved Ming city wall in China.
- Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
Discovered by villager Yang Zhifa while digging a well in 1974, the "Eighth Wonder of the World": Over 6,000 terracotta warriors in the First Pit infantry formation with "a thousand faces, a thousand looks"; the Second Pit features mixed arms formations and kneeling archers and green-faced figures; the Third Pit is the command headquarters; the Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum's First Chariot and Second Chariot are known as the "Crown of Bronze..."
- Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum (Lishan Garden)
The resting place of China's first emperor (built for 38 years, mobilizing 720,000 laborers): The burial mound has not been excavated—legends state it was "filled with mercury to simulate rivers, lakes, and seas" to mimic the terrain, which awaits archaeological verification; pit burials such as the Acrobatics Pit, Civil Official Pit, and Stone Armor Pit display the skills of various trades in the Qin Dynasty.