Temple of Soul’s Retreat (Lingyin Temple)

Temple of Soul’s Retreat (Lingyin Temple), located in the northwest of the West Lake, is famous as "Buddhist Kingdom in the Southeast". Also called Yunlin Temple, it is originally built in 326 AD by the Indian eminent monk Hui Li. With its imposing and magnificent architectural structures, the temple has remained one of the ten largest Zen Buddhist temples in China. At the center of the main hall, the statue of Sakyamumi, 24.8 meters in height, is China’s largest sitting statue of Buddha.