Guiyuan Temple
归元禅寺
A Qing-dynasty Chan temple in Hanyang with 500 clay arhat statues, each with a distinct expression. Counting the arhats for a fortune is a traditional blessing ritual among Wuhan people.
Guiyuan Temple is on Cuiwei Road in Hanyang. It was founded in 1658 (the 15th year of the Shunzhi reign) by monks Baiguang and Zhufeng from Zhejiang, on the former site of the Ming-era Kuiyuan Garden. Its name, meaning 'the one nature returns to unity, and the gates of the Dharma are many', makes it the foremost of Wuhan's four great monasteries, a key national Buddhist temple, and the most popular temple in Wuhan. The temple has central, southern and northern compounds. Highlights: the Hall of Arhats houses 500 clay arhat statues made in the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty using the dry-lacquer technique. They survived floods intact, and each arhat is vivid with its own expression. Wuhan people traditionally start counting from any statue according to their age, then check the matching fortune slip to predict their luck (slips cost 10 yuan). The Sutra Pavilion enshrines a white jade seated Shakyamuni statue (gifted by Myanmar in 1935) and many Buddhist scriptures. The Mahavira Hall and Skanda Hall feature woodcarvings. In the northern compound, the Yuantong Pavilion (completed in 2010, about 50 metres tall) can be climbed. Inside the temple is the Guiyuan vegetarian restaurant. Admission is 10 yuan, booked through the temple's official account or bought on site. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, when hundreds of thousands pour in to 'welcome the God of Wealth', you may need to queue overnight; on ordinary days it is serene. Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from Zhongjiacun station on Metro Lines 4 and 6, or Qintai station on Line 6. Nearby are Guqin Terrace (the setting of the Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi story), Qingchuan Pavilion, Turtle Hill and Hanyangzao Creative Park, which together make a half-day Hanyang tour. Allow about an hour; mornings are best. Note: photography is forbidden inside the halls, touching the arhat statues is prohibited, and visitors should dress appropriately.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00 (extended during festivals)
Nearby sights
- Guqin Terrace
- Hanyangzao Creative Park
- Zhang Zhidong and Hanyang Iron Works Museum
- Guishan Hill & TV Tower
- Qingchuan Pavilion
- Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge
- Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
- Wuchang Riverside Park