Guiyuan (Chan) Si (Guiyuan Buddhist Temple)

Frommer's Review

Best known for its hall of 500 gilded luohan (enlightened disciples), each in a different posture and having distinct features, this temple was founded in the mid-17th century by the monk Bai Guang. The present buildings date from the late Qing dynasty to the beginning of the Republican era (1911-49), but the luohan were sculpted between 1822 and 1831. Men proceed to the left and women to the right, counting one luohan until the number equals their age. They note the number that designates that statue and, on their way out, for ¥3 (35¢/15p) they buy the corresponding "luohan card," which tells their fortune. In the sutra library at the far end of the complex is a pretty jade Buddha with Indian influence that dates from the Northern Wei dynasty (4th-5th c.).

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