Six Banyan Temple (Liurong Temple)

Ancient Buddhist temple in central Guangzhou with a 57-metre Tang-dynasty pagoda

Six Banyan Temple has stood in the heart of Guangzhou for fifteen centuries, making it one of the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist temples in South China. The complex is centred on the Flower Pagoda (Hua Ta), a 17-storey, 57-metre tower built in the Tang dynasty that rises above the surrounding rooftops. From outside it looks like 9 storeys because alternate storeys are internal and not visible from the street.

The main hall houses three large bronze Buddha figures cast during the Song dynasty — extraordinary examples of early Chinese bronze casting. The temple is an active place of worship, not a museum: monks conduct morning and evening services, and the incense smoke is constant. In the courtyard you may see elderly worshippers making offerings or simply resting in the shade. The Guangxiao Temple is a short walk northwest; visiting both in the same morning is worthwhile.

things to do sight
A story
The temple gets its name from the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who visited in 1100 AD and was so taken with the six banyan trees growing in the courtyard that he wrote two characters — liu rong, "six banyans" — and presented them to the abbot. The trees are long gone, but the name stuck and appears above the temple gate to this day.

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