About this place

Guiyuan Temple is located on Cuiwei Street in Hanyang district. It is one of the four biggest Buddhist temples in Hubei Province. It boasts a unique and immense collection of Buddhist doctrine among Buddhist temples. The temple features fine architecture, excellent sculptures and rich collections of Buddhist sutras and treasures. The temple was originally built in 1658 by two monks named Baiguang and Zhufeng.
 
The temple is divided into five courtyards, covering an area of 20,000 sq meters (4.94 acres). It consists of three halls: Mahavira Hall, Arhat Hall, and the Sutra Collection Pavilion.
Mahavira Hall is the main hall of the temple. The sculptures of Sakyamuni and his disciples are enshrined in this hall. A group of Guan-yin and Buddhist sculptures are situated behind Sakyamuni.
 
Arhat Hall is even more awe-inspiring due to its 500 sculptures. Some of the sculptures are sitting, some are standing, others are reading or contemplating, while still more are simply just happy or sad. Each of the 500 sculptures features a uinque pose and appearance which make the hall truly a mine of art.
 
Sutra Collection Pavilion was originally built in 1669, but was destroyed during the war with the Japanese. In 1997 a new pavilion was built on the same site, replicating the original style and dimensions.
 

Tourist bus No. 401 will take you down to Guiyuan Temple.