Feilai Temple clings to a limestone cliff about fifteen kilometres north of the city centre, overlooking a bend in the Bei River where the gorge narrows. The temple dates from the sixth century, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied religious sites in Guangdong. Several dynasties have repaired and extended it, and the result is a layered complex of halls, pavilions, and shrines stepping up the cliff face rather than spreading across flat ground.
The approach is by boat from the riverside dock — a ten-minute journey that frames the cliff and its buildings from below, which is how the temple is meant to be seen. The main hall is built directly into the rock, with natural cave formations serving as alcoves for statues. The view back down the river from the upper terrace, with karst hills fading into the heat haze, justifies the climb on its own.