The Nanhai Guanyin statue stands at the island's southern tip on a three-level platform with the sea on three sides, and at 33 metres it is visible from the ferry approach to the island. The bronze figure depicts Guanyin in a standing pose with multiple arms, robed and holding a lotus, and the scale is impressive enough to justify the walk from the main temple area.
The platform around the statue's base functions as an active shrine, with incense burners, flower offerings, and a steady stream of worshippers circling the platform in clockwise direction as required by Buddhist practice. The sea view from the platform is the best on the island — on a clear day the outer Zhoushan islands are visible — and the combination of the sacred image and the open ocean is the definitive visual of Mount Putuo. The site is often busy, but early morning visits before the tour groups arrive have a different quality.