The Arhat Hall sits within Guiyuan Temple, one of the great Chan Buddhist monasteries of central China. First built in 1850 during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, the hall follows a distinctive four-courtyard-square layout that sets it apart architecturally.
Inside stand 500 gilded statues of arhats — disciples of the Buddha — carved between 1822 and 1831 by two artists. Each figure has its own expression and posture: sitting, standing, reclining, caught in anger, sorrow, or laughter. The range and quality of the carving is extraordinary, and the statues are considered among the finest and best-preserved examples of this type of group sculpture in China. Traditional visitors used to count along the statues until they reached a figure whose expression matched their own mood, reading it as a forecast of fortune.