Temple of Heaven
Beijing, China
The Temple of Heaven sits in a large walled park in southern Beijing, and the ticketing reflects that.
108 tickets & tours
Country
Best temples in China
China’s temples belong to several traditions side by side: Buddhist monasteries with their pagodas and halls of guardian kings, Confucian and Taoist temples, imperial altars and mosques. Beijing has the Temple of Heaven, the Tibetan Lama Temple and the Imperial Ancestral Temple; Xi’an has the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Great Mosque. Shanghai’s Jade Buddha and Jing’an temples are city stops, while Lingyin in Hangzhou, the Shaolin Temple near Dengfeng, the White Horse Temple at Luoyang and the Hanging Temple near Datong are destinations in themselves. Further out lie the Potala Palace and the Jokhang in Lhasa and the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, and in the south Wong Tai Sin and Man Mo in Hong Kong and A-Ma in Macau.
Shanghai 5Beijing 4Xi'an 3Datong 2Hangzhou 2Hong Kong 2Lhasa 2Baoji 1Changzhou 1Chengdu 1Dali 1Dengfeng 1Guangzhou 1Jinzhong 1Kashgar 1Lanzhou 1Luoyang 1Macau 1Quanzhou 1Qufu 1Sanya 1Suzhou 1Tianjin 1Zhangye 1
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Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)
Beijing, China
The basic purchase at the Lama Temple is a timed entry ticket, and in recent years Beijing's main sights have…
34 tickets & tours
Shaolin Temple
Dengfeng, China
The Shaolin Temple lies at the foot of Mount Song near Dengfeng, about 75 km south-west of Zhengzhou and 50 km…
34 tickets & tours
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi'an, China
The pagoda stands inside the working Da Ci'en Temple, and the basic product is simply admission to the temple…
12 tickets & tours
Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si)
Datong, China
The Hanging Temple sits in a gorge about 65 km south-east of Datong, so the real question is transport rather than…
12 tickets & tours
Lingyin Temple
Hangzhou, China
A visit to Lingyin involves two tickets bought one after the other.
11 tickets & tours
Jing’an Temple
Shanghai, China
Jing'an Temple charges a modest entry fee, paid at the gate on West Nanjing Road or bought in advance as a timed…
7 tickets & tours
Huayan Temple, Datong
Datong, China
Huayan Temple charges an entry fee at the gate in Datong's old city, and tickets can also be bought in advance as…
6 tickets & tours
Leifeng Pagoda
Hangzhou, China
Leifeng Pagoda is a ticketed site, and an admission ticket can be booked online in advance.
6 tickets & tours
Famen Temple
Baoji, China
Famen Temple stands in the countryside of Fufeng County, about 120 km west of Xi'an, and no ticket for the temple…
5 tickets & tours
Jade Buddha Temple
Shanghai, China
The Jade Buddha Temple sells its own entry tickets at the gate, for a small fee, and there is no need to book ahead;
5 tickets & tours
Kaiyuan Temple, Quanzhou
Quanzhou, China
Kaiyuan Temple is free to enter and there is nothing to book: you simply walk in from West Street.
5 tickets & tours
Mati Temple Grottoes
Zhangye, China
No ticket for Mati Temple alone is sold online. Admission to the scenic area is bought at the gate, and the grottoes,…
5 tickets & tours
Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao)
Beijing, China
The Imperial Ancestral Temple is a quiet walled park beside Tiananmen with a small entrance fee, and you can usually…
4 tickets & tours
Nanshan Temple, Sanya
Sanya, China
Nanshan Temple stands inside a large, fenced Buddhist cultural park on the coast west of Sanya, so the first thing to…
4 tickets & tours
White Horse Temple
Luoyang, China
The White Horse Temple sells its entry ticket at the main gate, with no need to book in advance, and the ticket covers…
4 tickets & tours
City God Temple of Shanghai
Shanghai, China
Entry to the temple itself is paid at a ticket window by the main gate, and the price is modest, so there is little…
3 tickets & tours
Bingling Temple Grottoes
Lanzhou, China
Bingling Temple is a site of Buddhist cave shrines in a canyon on the Yellow River, and the entry ticket is bought at…
2 tickets & tours
Longhua Temple
Shanghai, China
Longhua Temple is entered with a modest ticket bought at the gate, and you do not need to reserve it in advance.
2 tickets & tours
Shuanglin Temple
Jinzhong, China
Shuanglin Temple is a museum-like site that charges admission at the gate.
2 tickets & tours
Temple of Confucius, Qufu
Qufu, China
The temple is one of three Confucian sites in Qufu that make up a single World Heritage listing, together with the Kong…
2 tickets & tours
Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
Dali, China
The Three Pagodas stand inside a ticketed park that also takes in the rebuilt Chongsheng Temple climbing the hillside…
2 tickets & tours
Dule Temple
Tianjin, China
Tickets for Dule Temple are sold at the gate on arrival for a modest fee, and there is no need to book in advance.
1 ticket or tour
Great Mosque of Xi’an
Xi'an, China
Entry to the Great Mosque of Xi'an is paid at the gate in Huajue Lane, and no advance booking is needed for the…
1 ticket or tour
Carry your passport, since many sites and booking systems ask for it, and the Potala Palace runs on timed tickets arranged through your Tibet tour agency. Arrive at opening, when monks are chanting and before the tour groups, and avoid the national holidays in early May and early October. Hats come off in the halls.
Tours and activities in China
Temple tours and day trips in China
Temples in China: questions
How many temples are there in China?
This catalogue lists 37 temples, shrines and mosques in China, 30 of them with tickets or tours to book online. The most booked are Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple), Shaolin Temple.
Which is the oldest temple in China?
Temple of Confucius, Qufu, founded in 478 BC, is the oldest in the catalogue for China.
Which temples in China are free to enter?
5 of the 37 temples in China charge no entry fee, among them Kaiyuan Temple, Quanzhou, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Wong Tai Sin Temple. The entry fee is shown on each page.
Which temples in China are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
12 temples in China in this catalogue are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Temple of Heaven, Shaolin Temple, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.