Puning Temple

普宁寺

The only one of the Outer Eight Temples where monks still live; the Hall of Great Vehicle houses a 22-metre gilded wooden statue of the thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Guanyin, one of the largest wooden Buddha statues in the world.

Puning Temple was built in 1755 (the 20th year of the Qianlong reign) to commemorate the suppression of the Dawachi rebellion of the Dzungars. Modelled on Samye Monastery in Tibet, its front half follows the Han Chinese seven-hall monastery layout, and its rear half follows the Tibetan mandala altar layout, making it a representative work combining Han and Tibetan styles among the Outer Eight Temples. The highlight is the standing statue of the Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara inside the Hall of Great Vehicle. It stands 22.28 m tall, was carved from five types of wood (pine, cypress, elm, fir and linden), and weighs 110 tonnes. It was listed in the Guinness World Records in 1999, and standing at its feet is awe-inspiring. In the stele pavilion in front is Qianlong's imperial inscription, 'Stele on the Pacification of the Dzungars and the Establishment of Yili', with texts in four scripts recording the campaign. Lamas still live in the temple, and you can attend the morning and evening services. Incense is especially popular during festival assemblies. Suggested route: mountain gate, stele pavilion, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, then climb the steps into the Hall of Great Vehicle (no photography inside), walk around the hall to see the architecture of the four continents, and on your way out visit the ruins of Puyou Temple across the street. Tickets cost RMB 80 in peak season and RMB 60 off-season; combined tickets with Putuo Zongcheng Temple and Xumi Fushou Temple are available. The temple is about 3 km from the Mountain Resort. Take bus line 6 or a taxi, about 10 minutes. Remove hats inside the halls, keep your voice down, and do not photograph inside the halls.

Puning Temple

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby