# Guiyuan Temple (归元禅寺)

Wuhan, Hubei Province · Central China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guiyuan-temple
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥10
- **Opening hours:** 8：00—17：00
- **Time needed:** 1–2 hours
- **Getting there:** Near Bingtangjiao (冰糖角) bus stop on Guobo Avenue (国博大道)
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Temples, Waterfront

## About Guiyuan Temple

One of the “Four Great Buddhist Monasteries” of Wuhan, Guiyuan Temple is a Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple with a history of more than 300 years. The temple currently has 28 surviving halls, pavilions and towers, and its overall layout is shaped like a kasaya (Buddhist monk’s robe), which is its main architectural difference from other Buddhist temples. The temple’s nameplate is a rare vertical plaque in China, considered a marvel among Buddhist monasteries.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Luohan (arhat) statues: Guiyuan Temple houses 500 arhat statues, each with a different form. Count the arhats according to your own age, and note the number where you stop. Outside the hall, you can pay ¥3 at the fortune-telling station to receive an arhat illustration.
- 2. Vegetarian meals: The vegetarian meals at Guiyuan Temple are quite renowned. Dongpo cake and assorted buns are known as the “two delicacies” of the temple’s vegetarian snacks. Vegetarian ham, pearl morel soup, silver fungus sweet soup and fried vegetarian spring rolls are all widely praised by visitors.
- 3. Collect incense from your ticket: Vendors outside Guiyuan Temple sell incense and candles. Please do not buy them, as worshippers are not allowed to bring incense or candles into the temple. Instead, you can collect 3 sticks of Buddhist incense with your entry ticket.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 2017. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.