LINYIN TEMPLE, HANGZHOU

There are an estimated 100 million followers of Buddhism in China today despite China's shift to atheism after communism control began in 1949.  There are estimated to be over 20,000 Buddhist Temples.

"Hangzhou is speckled with courtyards, gardens, Buddhist temples, towers, pavilions, more Buddhist temples, springs, gullies, rock caves and still more Buddhist temples. Ancient cliff inscriptions abound here and there, just as there are scores of Buddha and boddhisatva figures in parks and in other public places, and of course there are innumerable examples of these sculptures, many of which are of precious jade, inside the city's Buddhist temples."

Lingyin Temple or Temple of Soul's Retreat is one of the largest and wealthiest temples in China.

It was originally founded in 326 AD but has been rebuilt several times.  There are over 300 Buddhist statues on the Temple grounds, the most famous is the Laughing Buddha. 
To reach the Temple we walked along a path lined with rock carvings.

Laughing Buddha

The principal Hall is Mahavira Hall. It houses the largest wooden Buddhist statue in China.

Mahavira Hall

Buddhist monk

The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats(spiritual practitioners) was amazing.  This Hall contained 500 slightly larger than life bronze statues. Each statue was seated on a unique ornate seat.  The expressions and postures represented the individual characteristics of each Arhat.

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