Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is an ancient Buddhist temple in Guangzhou. It is located on the Liurong Road and named after the six banyan trees which formerly stood in the courtyard and to which the poet Su Dongpo dedicated a piece of writing.

The most attractive architecture is the Six Banyan Pagoda, which is also called Flower Pagoda, a 17-tiered structure that towers 57 meters over the ancient site. The pagoda, which houses ancient relics from India, is decorated with a myriad of carved animals and holy figures. You can climb the spiral staircase, gaining some excellent views of the city along with close-ups of Buddhist icons and artwork.

To the west of the Six Banyan Pagoda is Daxiong Baodian Hall. It is the main hall of the temple. The three biggest copper Buddhist statues placed there. The middle one is Sakyamuni, to the left, the Amitabha and to the right, the Apothecary Buddha. There are also Tianwang Hall with laughing Buddha to welcome visitors and Weitou Hall with a straight-faced Buddha.

Surround the temple, there are small streets and alleys worth exploring for the stalls and shops vending jade trinkets, amulets, incense, plastic spinning musical electric mandalas and other religious bric-a-brac.