Ciyun Temple is one of Qingyan's two Buddhist temples, and the larger of the two. It occupies a compound off the main street with a sequence of halls built around open courtyards — the layout follows the standard pattern of Chinese Buddhist temple architecture, with a mountain gate, drum and bell towers, a main hall, and secondary halls arranged on axis.
The temple functions as an active place of worship rather than a museum exhibit. Incense burns at the altars, monks are resident, and devotees visit throughout the day. The carved stone bases of the hall columns and the bracket sets supporting the eaves are the work of skilled craftsmen who knew what they were making — the detailing is noticeably finer here than in the commercial storefronts on the main tourist street.