Buddhist sites guide

The four sacred Buddhist mountains

The Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of Han Buddhism each correspond to a Bodhisattva:

• Mt Wutai (Shanxi) — Manjusri (Wenshu, the Bodhisattva of wisdom). Northern, cold, austere. UNESCO-listed. Five flat-topped peaks; the temples cluster in a valley between them.
• Mt Emei (Sichuan) — Samantabhadra (Puxian, the Bodhisattva of practice). Southwest, lush. Golden Summit at 3,099m. UNESCO-listed jointly with the Leshan Buddha.
• Mt Putuo (Zhejiang) — Avalokitesvara (Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of compassion). On an island off Ningbo. Coastal, milder. Ferry from the mainland.
• Mt Jiuhua (Anhui) — Ksitigarbha (Dizang, the Bodhisattva of the underworld). Central. Less internationally famous; substantial within China.

A pilgrimage to all four is a significant religious commitment; combined visits within a single trip are unusual due to the geographic spread.

Major Buddhist temples

• Lingyin Temple (Hangzhou) — among the largest active monasteries in eastern China; 1,700+ years old.
• Yonghe Gong / Lama Temple (Beijing) — Tibetan Buddhist (Gelugpa) monastery in central Beijing.
• Famen Temple (Shaanxi) — 110 km west of Xi'an. Houses a finger relic of the Buddha; major Tang-dynasty foundation.
• White Horse Temple (Luoyang) — the first Buddhist temple in China, founded 68 CE.
• Shaolin Temple (Henan) — birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Chinese martial arts.
• Tiantong Temple (Ningbo) — Linji Chan tradition.
• Yuantong Temple (Kunming) — major Yunnan temple.
• Po Lin Monastery (Lantau, Hong Kong) — alongside the Tian Tan Big Buddha.

Buddhist cliff carvings (UNESCO sites)

• Mogao Caves (Dunhuang) — 4th–14th century Silk Road Buddhist art. UNESCO.
• Yungang Grottoes (Datong) — 5th–6th century Northern Wei foundation. UNESCO.
• Longmen Grottoes (Luoyang) — 5th–9th century. UNESCO.
• Dazu Rock Carvings (Chongqing) — 9th–13th century. UNESCO.
• Bingling Temple Grottoes (Gansu) — UNESCO.
• Maijishan Grottoes (Gansu) — 'Wheat-stack mountain'.

Tibetan Buddhist sites

In the Tibet Autonomous Region (permit required): - **Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung, Sera, Norbulingka** in Lhasa. - **Tashilhunpo** in Shigatse. - **Pelkhor Chode** in Gyantse.

In Tibetan-cultural areas without permit: - **Labrang Monastery** (Xiahe, Gansu) — one of the largest monasteries of the Gelugpa school outside the TAR. - **Songzanlin Monastery** (Shangri-La, Yunnan) — 'Little Potala'. - **Kumbum Monastery** (Xining, Qinghai) — Tsongkhapa's birthplace. - **Larung Gar** (Sichuan) — partially restricted.

Visiting etiquette

• Walk clockwise around stupas, prayer halls and central shrines.
• Don't touch monks' robes or religious objects.
• Photography inside worship halls is often restricted; check for posted signs.
• Remove hats indoors.
• Keep voices low.
• Donations are welcome but not required; small notes (¥10–¥50) are standard.

Understanding what you're seeing at a Buddhist site

Most Chinese Buddhist temples follow the same layout: a central axis running north–south, with gates and halls arranged in sequence. The first structure is usually the Gate of Heavenly Kings (天王殿), housing four large guardian figures (the four Heavenly Kings, each controlling a direction) and Maitreya (the future Buddha, usually a fat laughing figure in the popular depiction). Behind that: the Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), the principal worship space, housing the three Buddhas of past, present, and future (or the three Buddhas of the three realms, depending on the tradition). Further halls behind may contain Guanyin, the hall of Arhats (the 500 or 18 Luohan figures), or the bell and drum towers on either side.

Understanding this sequence prevents the common confusion — the laughing figure at the gate is Maitreya, not the main Buddha; the main Buddha in the central hall is Shakyamuni (the historical Gautama Buddha) in most cases, rendered in the specific hand-gesture (mudra) and seated posture associated with enlightenment.

The difference between Han Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, and Theravada sites

The three Buddhist traditions in China look completely different from the outside:

Han Mahayana temples — red walls, gold-tiled roofs, incense courtyards, characteristic gate and hall sequence described above. The aesthetic is consistently recognisable across eastern and central China.

Tibetan Vajrayana monasteries — white-and-red painted walls, flat roofs, large golden roof ornaments, prayer flags, prayer wheels. The interior deity iconography is more complex and includes wrathful deity forms that Han temples do not feature. Monks wear maroon robes rather than the grey or brown of Han monks.

Theravada temples (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan) — tiered white pagodas with gilded finials, design very similar to Thai or Lao wats. Found only in the Dai ethnic minority area near the Myanmar border.

The difference matters practically: a Tibetan monastery visit has a distinctly different visual and ritual character, and the permit requirements for sites in the Tibet Autonomous Region are an additional logistical layer.

Practising Buddhists

For practising visitors, most major temples offer accommodation for short retreats. Lingyin, Mt Wutai, Mt Putuo, Mt Emei all have monastery guesthouses. The vegetarian meals are simple and good. Apply in advance via a Chinese Buddhist association contact.

The relationship between Buddhism and Chinese folk religion

The boundary between institutional Han Buddhism and Chinese folk religion is permeable. Guanyin (the Bodhisattva of compassion) is venerated in Buddhist temples and in folk shrines alike. The same individual may visit a Buddhist temple, a Daoist shrine, and a local folk deity temple in the same week without perceiving any contradiction. Understanding this — that Chinese religious practice is syncretic rather than sectarian — prevents the confusion of expecting a clearly bounded Buddhist identity.