If you’re curious about Buddhism in China, just outside Hangzhou you’ll find Lingyin Temple—a historic and still active place of worship. Here, you can take your time admiring the intricate temple architecture and respectfully observe the rituals of those who have come to pray. But the experience doesn’t end there.The surrounding Lingyin–Feilai Peak Scenic Area is home to the remarkable Feilai Feng Grottoes—a collection of around 300 Buddhist stone carvings hidden among moss-covered cliffs, many dating back over 1,000 years.
During my two-week adventure through China, I was fortunate to explore the breathtaking Feilai Feng Grottoes and the fascinating Lingyin Temple. This journey wasn’t without its logistical hiccups, but the sheer beauty of the sites more than made up for it. Let me take you on a virtual walk through this ancient spiritual landscape — and share tips for your own trip to Feilai Feng Grottoes.
Location:
Cost: has an entrance fee
Length: at least 3 hours, could be more
In this Feilai Feng adventure:
Check out my full Hangzhou travel story
How to Visit Feilai Feng Scenic Area
The Roller Coaster of Getting To Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng Grottoes
I’m calling this part of the story “Learn from My Mistakes.” Because for me, getting to the Lingyin – Feilai Feng Scenic Area was a bit of a rollercoaster. But don’t be discouraged — it was absolutely worth it in the end.
Since the Feilai Feng Scenic Area sits outside of Hangzhou’s city center, there are no metro lines that go directly there. The two main options I found were to take a bus or use a taxi/Didi. I wasn’t sure how to buy a bus ticket at the time, and since Didi is super affordable, I figured it would be easiest to take the metro as far as I could and then catch a Didi from the last station.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
My Attempt to Use Didi to Get To Feilan Feng
I entered the Feilai Feng Scenic Area ticket office as my drop-off point in the app. It seemed straightforward. But I should’ve known something was up when multiple drivers canceled on me. Eventually, one did accept, and for a moment, things were looking up.
But soon after we got going, the driver started pointing at the map and trying to explain something. The problem? He spoke no English, and I speak no Mandarin. Still, through some miracle of pointing and shrugging, we reached a shared understanding: he couldn’t drop me off where I’d requested.
I wasn’t sure why… until we got further along and I saw it for myself — there was a restricted zone where cars weren’t allowed to pass.
This is where I start to panic. I’m outside the city, alone, with limited mobile data and a very real language barrier. But people in China are incredibly kind — the taxi driver actually gets out of the car with me and flags down someone nearby, who turns out to be a police officer. And luckily, he speaks English.
The officer explains that from this point on, no cars are allowed, and I’ll need to continue the rest of the way on foot. It’s about a 15-minute walk, he says, and points me in the right direction.
So, I take a breath, thank both of them as best I can, and start walking. I fall into step with the gentle stream of people making their way along the path. The greenery on either side feels calm and quiet — a soft contrast to the chaos just moments before. Eventually, the first signs of the Feilai Feng Scenic Area appear: a few small shops, then the first clusters of people, and finally the ticket booths. Just like that, I’m back on track.
Looking back, I honestly think I should have just taken the bus from the beginning. And because I now knew that didi wasn’t a viable option, that’s exactly what I did to get back to Hangzhou. I did see a sign for some kind of a taxi in the scenic area, so I suppose there are some exceptions, but knowing I speak no Mandarin I thought I wouldn’t be able to explain where I needed to go or align on the price. So let’s skip forward to the point I was ready to return to the city.
Going Back from Feilai Feng Scenic Area to Hangzhou by Buss
When I’m ready to head back to Hangzhou, I open Amap to figure out which bus can take me back to the city where I can connect to the metro. I follow the signs to the bus stop — and to my surprise, the signage is actually really clear and easy to follow.
There’s just one last challenge: figuring out how to buy a bus ticket. Everyone else is scanning a QR code on an app that isn’t working for me.
Long story short: it’s best to buy your public transport ticket through the app. But if that fails, the station at the Lingyin–Feilai Feng Scenic Area also accepts cash — but you have to have exact bills. Because there’s just a simple fare box where you drop in the money and they have no chance to give. Luckily, even though China is mostly cashless, I always carry a bit of RMB, and this time, it really came in handy.
Fortunately this bus even announced the stops in English, which helped a lot. But in case if it doesn’t…
Travel tip: Once on the bus you can use Amap to track your live location vs the bus route to your destination to make sure you don’t miss your stop.
So after all the stress and a few hiccups, I make it back to Hangzhou safely.
Please note: I’m not trying to scare anyone — just sharing my experience to help you plan ahead and avoid unnecessary stress.
So in summary my tip on how to get to Lingyin – Feilai Feng scenic area would be:
- The easiest and most stress-free way to reach the Lingyin–Feilai Feng scenic area is by bus. I took Route 7 on my way back, but I recommend using Amap (the local navigation app) to find the route that works best from your location. It’s reliable and keeps you informed with real-time updates.
- If you do need to take a taxi, I strongly suggest asking your hotel to help you arrange it. They can confirm the drop-off point with the driver and give you any essential information — especially helpful if there’s a language barrier.
But now, let’s jump into the actual adventure of Lingyin temple and Feilan Feng Grottoes.
How to Purchase Tickets to Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng Grottoes
I believe there’s an option to buy tickets online, but since I’ve had some challenges booking through Chinese websites in the past, I decided to buy my ticket at the entrance instead.
There are a LOT of people here — but luckily, it seems many have pre-booked online, so the queue for on-site tickets is surprisingly manageable.
Travel tip: during my trip in 2025 this ticket booth only accepted Alipay — not WeChat Pay. I never managed to get Alipay to work properly, but I come prepared with some cash, and they’re happy to accept that. So even though China is largely cashless, I still recommend carrying some RMB — it can be a lifesaver.
Another important heads-up:
There are two separate entrance tickets — one for the Feilai Feng Scenic Area, and another for Lingyin Temple itself. The ticket you buy at this first booth only gives you access to the scenic area. If you want to visit the temple as well (which I recommend!), you’ll need to buy an additional ticket later, near the temple entrance.
To clarify:
✅ You can visit just the Feilai Feng Scenic Area without entering the temple.
❌ You cannot visit Lingyin Temple without first entering the scenic area.
Hope that makes sense!
Ticket in hand, we set off again — continuing our quest to find the actual entrance.
Exploring the Mesmerising Feilai Feng Grottoes: What to Expect as a Foreigner
I think everyone arrives eager to explore the famous Feilai Feng Grottoes. But just after the ticket check, there’s a small park area that feels like a quiet pause before the main experience. Hidden among blooming hydrangea bushes are large Chinese drums. It’s much less crowded here than near the ticket booths or snack stands, and the calm is welcome.
Every so often, a visitor strikes one of the drums, sending a deep, echoing sound across the park. The steady beat lingers in the air as we continue our walk toward the limestone cliffs.
Find the Buddhist Rock Carvings Hidden in the Feilai Feng Cliffs
There are countless small caves and grottoes hidden within the moss-covered, mysterious cliffs of the Feilai Feng Grottoes. Narrow paths wind organically between the limestone hills, and I’m not quite sure where to begin this exploration. But when I spot a few other visitors slipping into a shadowy archway — carved by nature itself into the rock — I decide we should follow.
Inside, the air is cold and the walls glisten with moisture. The rock ceiling curves and dips like frozen ocean waves — low in places, soaring in others. Soft beams of light filter through natural skylight above, casting a gentle glow on the raw, sculpted surfaces. But the darkest corners are lit up with artificial light, revealing what lies hidden within: ancient Buddhist statues, carved into the stone of Feilai Feng cliffs.
There really are all kinds of figures here in the Feilai Feng Grottoes — Buddhas, Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings who delay their own enlightenment to guide others), and powerful deities. Many sit cross-legged in deep meditation. While their features are often similar, each one wears a distinct expression — wise, peaceful, joyful. Between them, inscriptions are etched into the rock, clearly filled with meaning. I can’t read them, but I wish I could.
Stepping out of the cave and into bright daylight, we’re greeted by even more stone statues. Just ahead stands a weathered rock pagoda, its surface decorated with rows of tiny Buddha sculptures. Behind it, inside a stone niche, sits a large figure — a man with a crown on his head and a floral sash draped across his body.
The level of detail is astonishing. Can you imagine the patience it must have taken to carve every wrinkle in the folds of the robes the stone figures in Feilai Feng Grottoes are wearing?
And where the cliff stretches beyond, it’s full of all kinds of sculptures tucked between the moss — including the famous Laughing Buddha, a symbol of good cheer and contentment. Exploring the Feilai Feng scenic area is like one of those detective games where you have to spot objects hidden in a scene.
At the base of the cliff is a still pool of milky blue water. Turtles lounge on the rocks or drift slowly through the water, undisturbed by the endless flow of people taking the photos of the statues and exploring the paths that lead up the cliff.
I don’t have the knowledge to decode what each statue represents, but I can tell that every one is telling its own unique story. The figure that fascinates me most in the Feilai Feng Grottoes is tucked away in a dark cave. I say “figure” loosely—because all I see are two glowing red eyes staring back at me from the shadows.
Climbing up the Path Above the Feilai Feng Carvings
I’m curious to see where those winding little paths above the cliffside carvings of Feilan Feng actually lead to. Aren’t you?
We pick one at random and begin our climb. Be careful as after the train the steps are very slippery! Around us, the forest feels quiet and a little mysterious — full of trees and massive, smooth boulders that look like they’ve been polished by centuries of mist and time.
The path twists and rises for quite a while. Eventually, we reach a small clearing — a sort of plateau with large rocks in the center — where most other visitors seem to be stopping. It’s not exactly a dramatic summit. The dense trees block any sweeping views, so if you’re hoping for a panoramic photo op, this probably isn’t it. But there is a vending machine where you can purchase ice cream and water for some refreshment!
I look around for a few minutes, wondering if I’ve missed another path leading deeper into the forest. If you discover something I didn’t, do let me know. For now, we make our way back down — legs a bit wobbly from the descent and minds already shifting to what’s next: the Lingyin Temple.
Discover Lingyin temples Living Legacy
There are actually several temples scattered throughout the Feilai Feng scenic area, but today we’re focusing on the most famous one: Lingyin Temple. Founded in 326 AD by an Indian monk, Lingyin Temple is considered one of the ten most important Buddhist temples in China.
After purchasing the separate entrance ticket (as mentioned earlier, Lingyin Temple requires its own admission in addition to the ticket for the Feilai Feng scenic area), we follow the steady stream of visitors into the temple’s vast courtyard. The scent of incense immediately fills the air, grounding you in the moment. At the center stands a towering incense burner, smoke curling upward in thick, fragrant spirals.
Because Lingyin Temple is still an active place of worship, you’ll see pilgrims bowing with incense sticks in hand. I don’t know the specific rituals of Buddhism well enough to explain what I’m seeing — and I wouldn’t want to get it wrong — so I simply watch quietly from a respectful distance, letting the atmosphere speak for itself.
Exploring the Lingyin Temple Halls
There’s not just one hall inside Lingyin Temple — there are many, each with its own distinct energy. The architecture is striking: upturned eaves with dragons perched on the corners, and large doors that seem to always be open, welcoming a steady stream of visitors. Though the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times throughout history, its structures still offer a deep glimpse into traditional Buddhist temple design. For example look at these windows – each seems to have a different scene carved in it.
Since I can’t read Mandarin, the golden signs above each doorway remain a mystery to me. So, I let intuition guide me. One particular hall catches my eye: a striking yellow building flanked by twin stone pagodas. At its entrance, large wooden racks hold thousands of red ribbons, each tied carefully and left to flutter in the breeze. From the outside, I can’t quite tell what’s inside — only a soft golden glow beckoning from within.
We step closer and there it is: a towering 24.8-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. An altar in front of him holds neatly arranged flowers and fruit offerings.
Sorry, to be respectful to those in prayer – I didn’t take any pictures here, so you’ ll have to imagine how grand this hall is.
Unique Highlights of Lingyin Temple
Some of the most remarkable sights at Lingyin Temple include the Hall of 500 Arhats — individuals who have followed Buddha’s teachings, overcome defilements like greed, hatred, and ignorance, and attained nirvana. Each statue has a distinct expression and character. Another standout is the golden statue of Guānyīn, who stands atop a mythical creature that some sources describe as a dragon-turtle. What makes this statue so captivating is the relief background behind it, featuring about 150 arhats carved into the wall in a way that makes it seem almost alive and moving.
In addition to the prayer halls in Lingyin temple you’ll also find exhibitions of buddhist artefacts and art, for example paintings of buddha sitting on a lotus throne.
The hall that I found the most memorable is the one that I don’t know the name of – it’ s a room where both walls surrounding the large golden statue in the center are covered with thousands of small golden Buddhas, each housed in its own tiny capsule or shrine. Overall you could easily spend a long time walking around Lingyin temple, exploring, and observing every detail.
With this our trip to Feilan Feng scenic area comes to an end. It sure was a great day trip from Hangzhou! Hope you enjoyed it too!
More Travel Tips for Visiting Feilai Feng Grottoes and Lingyin Temple
- The area gets very crowded on weekends, so if possible, try to visit on a weekday for a more peaceful experience. That said, I managed to explore it on a weekend myself.
- Since Lingyin Temple is an active religious site, please dress respectfully — make sure your knees and shoulders are covered.
- Most signs directing visitors to buses and toilets are in English, but many other signs are only in Mandarin. A translation app that can read text from pictures can be a huge help, though keep in mind you’ll need internet access for it to work properly.
PS: if you’re actively planning a trip to China you may also be interested to take a peek into my China travel planning tips as well.
Read my full China travel story