Fayu Temple

法雨寺

The 'Back Temple,' the second-largest temple on Mount Putuo, rising in six tiers up the mountainside. Its Nine Dragon Hall was moved here from the Ming Palace in Nanjing, and its Nine Dragon caisson ceiling is the finest on the mountain.

Fayu Temple, also known as the Back Temple, sits on the east side of Baihua Peak on Mount Putuo, at the north end of Qianbu Beach. In 1580, during the Ming Dynasty, the monk Dazhi founded it as Haichao Hermitage. In 1699, it was granted the name Fayu Chan Temple, and building components of the Nine Dragon Hall were transported here from the Ming Palace in Nanjing, forming the layout seen today. The temple is built across six platforms following the mountain's slope, with its halls rising from the entrance gate to the abbot's hall. The halls are grand, surrounded by ancient camphor trees and ginkgoes, and the atmosphere is quieter than at Puji Temple. The highlight is the Nine Dragon Hall (Yuantong Hall), behind the Jade Buddha Hall. Its ceiling is a Ming-era Nine Dragon caisson, with one dragon at the top and eight more encircling it, and the woodcarving is exquisite. The hall houses a statue of Vairocana Guanyin, and the terrace, stone balustrades, and stone carvings of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars in front of it are relics from the Ming Dynasty. The Haihui Bridge, the Fangsheng Pond, and the Imperial Stele Pavilion in front of the Heavenly King Hall are also worth seeing, as are the Great Hero Hall and the Sutra Library behind the hall. Beside the temple, Qianbu Beach is the longest beach on Mount Putuo, about 1.5 km. A classic plan is to watch the sunrise on the beach in the morning, then walk along the sand to the temple to attend the early morning service. Behind the temple, stone steps lead to Huiji Temple on Foding Mountain, about 1,088 steps, a 40-minute walk, or you can take the cable car. A visit takes about 1 hour. Admission is ¥5 (incense voucher). Getting there: take the island shuttle bus to the Fayu Temple stop. From Puji Temple it's about 10 minutes by bus, or 40 minutes on foot via Qianbu Beach. Note that photography is not allowed in the Nine Dragon Hall, there are many steps, and there is a vegetarian restaurant in front of the temple.

Fayu Temple

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