Lingyin Temple also known as the Immortals Hidden Temple or Temple of Soul's Retreat, it is located in the western part of the Klippe (Feilai Peak) by the West Lake, is one of the most famous ancient temples in Hangzhou City. It is a famous scenery spot of the West Lake scenic area. People who visit Hangzhou often take this temple as one of their favorite Hangzhou attractions when they plan a trip to the City. For years, the temple has become one of the most visited Chinese monasteries by the tourists from home and abroad.
Lingyin Temple has over 1,600 years of history. It was originally built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 326). At that time, the Indian monk Li Hui came to Hangzhou, saw the stunning and elegant mountain, thought it was the place where the immortals hidden (Ling Yin in Chinese), so he built the temple and named it Ling Yin Temple. The temple had been expanded twice in the Five Dynasties (907-960 A.D.). The current temple has nine floors, 18 Courts, 72 halls, and over 1,300 houses, which can accommodate up to 3,000 monks.
The Mahayana Hall of Lingyin Monastery houses China's largest wooden sculpture of the Sleeping Buddhas, which stands 9.1 meters in height, including the lotus seat and the top of Buddhist Glory, the entire statue measures 19.6 meters in height.
In front of the monastery, there are Klippe (Feilai Peak), Cold Spring, Longhong Cave, precious rock cave arts, queer and varied natural caves and gullies. Inside the caves of the Flown Over Peak are 470 Buddhist statues sculpted during the Five Dynasties, Song and Yuan dynasties (907-1368). They are the most famous Buddhist statues in China.