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
By type
Best chinese temples to visit worldwide
This type covers Taoist, Confucian, folk and imperial state temples in China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Korea, often with Buddhist figures sharing the same altars. Most follow a common plan: a gate with painted door gods, courtyards on a north-south axis, a great incense burner in front of the main hall and side halls for lesser deities. Look up at roof ridges crowded with dragons and figurines, at carved stone columns and, in Confucian temples, at the stelae naming scholars who passed the imperial examinations.
How to visit a Chinese temple: incense, gods and manners — How to behave in Taoist, Confucian and folk temples in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South-East Asia: incense, thresholds and fortunes.
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
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)
Hanoi, Vietnam
Most visitors simply buy a ticket at the main gate on Quoc Tu Giam Street and walk in;
11 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
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
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
Thai Vi Temple
Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Thai Vi is a village temple honouring the kings of the Tran dynasty, set at the foot of limestone peaks in the Tam Coc…
2 tickets & tours
Jongmyo Shrine
Seoul, South Korea
Jongmyo has an unusual entry system that shapes how you visit.
1 ticket or tour
Thean Hou Temple
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Thean Hou Temple is free to enter and needs no ticket. It stands on Robson Heights, a hill just south of central Kuala…
1 ticket or tour
A-Ma Temple
Macau, China
There is no ticket to buy for A-Ma Temple and none of the online booking platforms sells entry to it on its own.
No online ticket
Bach Ma Temple
Hanoi, Vietnam
No ticket is sold for Bach Ma Temple, and none is needed: the doors open onto the street during the day, entry is free,…
No online ticket
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
Malacca, Malaysia
Cheng Hoon Teng is free to enter, and no ticket or tour for this temple alone is sold online.
No online ticket
Confucius Temple, Shanghai (Wenmiao)
Shanghai, China
The Confucius Temple charges a small entrance fee at the gate on Wenmiao Road, and there is nothing to reserve in…
No online ticket
Dinh Cau Shrine
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
There is nothing to book for Dinh Cau. The shrine stands on a rocky outcrop at the mouth of the Duong Dong River in Phu…
No online ticket
Longshan Temple (Bangka Lungshan Temple)
Taipei, Taiwan
Longshan Temple in Wanhua is free to enter, open from early morning to late evening, and has no ticket of any kind;
No online ticket
Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road
Hong Kong, China
The Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road is free to enter and has no tickets; no online booking exists for the temple alone.
No online ticket
Ngoc Son Temple
Hanoi, Vietnam
There is nothing to book in advance for Ngoc Son Temple.
No online ticket
Quan Thanh Temple
Hanoi, Vietnam
There is no online ticket for Quan Thanh Temple. Foreign visitors pay a small entrance fee at the gate on Quan Thanh…
No online ticket
Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple
Ipoh, Malaysia
No ticket for Sam Poh Tong is sold online, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Sam Poo Kong (Gedung Batu Temple)
Semarang, Indonesia
No ticket for Sam Poo Kong is sold online. Entry is paid at the gate, with a ticket that covers the gardens, courtyards…
No online ticket
Taipei Confucius Temple
Taipei, Taiwan
There is nothing to book for the Taipei Confucius Temple.
No online ticket
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), Hue
Hue, Vietnam
No ticket for the Temple of Literature in Hue is sold online, and it is not one of the sites included in the combined…
No online ticket
Thian Hock Keng Temple
Singapore
Entry to Thian Hock Keng is free and there is nothing to book: it is an active Hokkien temple, open to the public every…
No online ticket
Thien Hau Temple (Cholon)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
There is nothing to buy in advance for the Thien Hau Temple: the gate on Nguyen Trai Street is open to anyone during…
No online ticket
These are relaxed places to visit. There is rarely a dress code beyond modest clothing, shoes stay on, and hats come off before the altars in Confucian halls. Step over the raised thresholds rather than on them, and where a temple has Dragon and Tiger gates, enter by the right and leave by the left. Do not stand in front of people praying. If you want to offer incense, buy it at the temple, light it from the communal flame and place it in the burner; ask before photographing worshippers.
The finest examples here are the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the Hanging Temple near Datong, the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Longshan Temple in Taipei, Wong Tai Sin in Hong Kong and Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, the ancestral shrine of the Joseon kings.