Puji Temple

普济寺

The leading temple of the three major temples on Mount Putuo and the main Guanyin shrine. Founded in the Song Dynasty, its Qing-era main hall can hold a thousand people, and the lotus in the Haiyin Pond in front of it, along with the Multi-Treasure Pagoda, make up Mount Putuo's most iconic view.

Puji Temple, also known as the Front Temple, sits at the southern foot of Baihua Peak on Mount Putuo. It is the island's main Guanyin temple and the center of Buddhist activities. In 1080, during the Northern Song Dynasty, it was granted the plaque "Baotuo Guanyin Temple," and in 1699, during the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt and given its current name. Today's buildings follow Qing-era standards and cover 37,000 square meters with ten halls. The central axis runs through the Imperial Stele Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Yuantong Treasure Hall, Sutra Library, and Abbot's Hall. The Yuantong Treasure Hall is the main hall, seven bays wide, and houses an 8.8-meter-tall statue of Vairocana Guanyin, flanked by thirty-two manifestation Guanyins. It can accommodate a thousand people for religious ceremonies, earning it the nickname "the living great hall." The front gate of the hall is said to open only when a head of state or emperor arrives, so ordinary pilgrims use the side doors on the east and west. In front of the temple, Haiyin Pond (the Fangsheng Pond) is filled with lotus flowers in summer. Three stone bridges cross the pond, and on its southern side stand the Multi-Treasure Pagoda, built in the Yuan Dynasty and the oldest building on Mount Putuo, with exquisite Buddha carvings on its body, and the Imperial Stele Pavilion. Ancient camphor trees line the pond's edge, and at dusk, when monks chant sutras and pilgrims walk around the pond, the atmosphere is the most evocative on the mountain. Morning service begins around 4:30 a.m. and evening service around 4:00 p.m. You can listen quietly from outside the hall. A visit takes about 1 hour. The area around the temple has the island's densest concentration of restaurants and hotels, on Xianghua Street. Admission is ¥5 (incense voucher). Getting there: take the scenic shuttle from the pier to the Puji Temple stop, about 10 minutes, or walk about 30 minutes from Nanhai Guanyin. Note that photography and loud conversation are not allowed inside the hall. Use the free incense provided at the temple for offerings and do not bring tall incense from outside. Crowds gather during pilgrimage festivals and holidays.

Puji Temple

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