South Putuo Temple (Nanputuo Temple)- Must-visit Temple on Xiamen Island

Attractions & Highlights in South Putuo Temple

South Putuo Temple is facing the azure sea in the south with a serene mountain in its back. The main architectures in the central axis are Tianwang Hall, Daxiong, Dabei Hall and Depository of Buddhist Sutras. There is a square in front of Tianwang Hall, and a 30m quadrate Free Life Pond and a bigger lotus pool.

Tianwang Hall situates at the forefront of the central axis and worships Maitreya Buddha. The entrance door of the temple is just in the front of Tianwang Hall. Entering the hall, you'll see Four Devarajas with fierce stares on the two sides of the hall, with the smiling Maitreya Buddha in the center.

Daxiong Hall is the center of the temple, splendid and magnificent. Built in 1926, Daxiong Hall is a wooden architecture with green titles on the roof and stone pillars as support, and the beam is carved and the pillar is painted, which represents the traditional architecture skill in Southern Fujian. Monks will do morning and even lessons in here. Dharma assembly, worship and other Buddhism activities will also be held in Daxiong Hall.

Dabei Hall is another main shrine in the temple. Worshiping Thousand-Hand Kwan-yin, it's built in Qing Dynasty. It's situated on the high platform behind Daxiong Hall, with nearly 30 stone stairs between them. The main hall of Dabei hall is an octagon shape, and the structure is very delicate and tight, like a spider web. People in Southern Fujian believes in Kwan-yin, thus Dabei Hall is very prosperous and many locals come here to burn incense.

Depository of Buddhist Sutras is the highest building among the architectures in central axis. Built in 1936, it's a two-floor building. The first floor is dhammasala, a place used to speak Dharma, and the second place is used to store Buddhist texts and other cultural relics. Lotus Sutra written in blood from Ming Dynasty, White Porcelain Kwan-yin Statue created by He Chaozong, a famous sculptor in Ming Dynasty, 28 Burmese jade Buddhas and other Buddhist scriptures and cultural relics are all stored in here.

In Chinese lunar calendar, every February 19th, June 19th and September 19th will celebrate the enlightenment of Kwan-yin. At these time, South Putuo Temple will hold grand Buddhist activities, and many believers will light incense and kowtow to the Kwan-yin statues in the temple to pray for health and wealth. Tourists can taste the famous vegetarian food in the temple.

Besides that, there are five large-scale Dharma Assemblies every year.
Sanqianfo Dharma Assembly: January 16th ~ January 18th in Chinese lunar calendar
Buddha Showering Grand Dharma Assembly: April 8th in Chinese lunar calendar
Yulanpen Grand Dharma Assembly: July 15th in Chinese lunar calendar
Shuilu Dharma Assembly: October 15th ~ October 21st in Chinese lunar calendar
Wanfo Grand Assembly: December 8th ~ December 17th in Chinese lunar calendar

Vegetarian Food in the Temple

The vegetarian cuisine is famous because of South Putuo Temple, and it attracts more tourists to the temple in return. The food here is reputed as the most authentic vegetarian food in Fujian Province. With a history over 100 years, the original vegetarian food was provided for believers after they worship the Buddha. As Xiamen's opening to public, more and more people visit the temple and taste the vegetarian food here.

By Private Car - Most Convenient Way to Travel around Xiamen

Take a private tour with China Discovery and you will no longer need to worry about how to get to Xiamen or transfer from to South Putuo Temple, and our experienced private car driver will pick you up from airport, train stations or any other places in Xiamen city and send you directly to South Putuo Temple. Along the trip, our local guide and driver would well arrange every steps to provide you with a comfortable trip. If interested, you can also pay a visit to other attractions nearby, such as Xiamen University, Xianmen Botanical Garden, Huandao Road, Zhongshan Road etc.

>> 2 Days Xiamen City Tour

Xiamen University

Against the mountains and overlooking the sea, Xiamen University is praised as one of the most beautiful universities in China. The campus is backed by the rolling Wulao Peak, facing ripping Xiamen Bay in the front. The wind brings the scent of the salty sea. Visitors may hear the whistle of fishing boats in the early morning. For travelers, Jiageng architecture is the highlight of Xiamen University. This "Chinese and Western Combination" style of architecture was created by Chen Jiageng in a common form of “dovetailed roof with western building body(Roman column)”.

Huandao Road

Huandao Road is located on the southeast part of Xiamen Island, surrounded by tropical flowers, azure blue sea, comfortable wooden footpaths and bicycle paths. It is the best place to enjoy the island and beach scenery in Xiamen. Zeng Cuo An, Baicheng Beach, Hulishan Fortress, Huangcuo Beach and International Convention and Exhibition Center, etc. are all highlights you can’t miss on Huangdao Road. Considering the distances of each scenic spot, riding a bike is the best way to fully appreciate beaches, architecture, status and highlights on the road. Visitors can also take the No. 29 bus and Island tour bus to appreciate the coastal scenery of Xiamen.

1. Weather & Best Time to Visit

Xiamen's weather is very suitable for tourism. No severe cold winter nor an extremely hot summer. The lowest temperature is about 9℃ in January, while the highest temperature is about 33℃ in August. Nanputuo Temple is suitable to visit all year around, especially in spring and autumn. Typhoons may hit Xiamen in August, and the flight may be canceled for this reason. South Putuo Temple is situated on the seaside, so it's better to avoid the typhoon season. However, if you are lucky to avoid visiting Xiamen in typhoon days summer, Lotus in the Pond are in their full bloom, perfume the whole area. You may smell the faint fragrance even in a distance. More detailed information about the weather, please Xiamen Weather, Climate & Best Time to Visit >>

2. Accommodation and Where to Stay

There are lots of hot tourist attractions nearby South Putuo Temple, which makes the area one of the most popular places to stay overnight. Joyze Hotel Xiamen Curio Collection By Hilton and Conrad Xiamen are the top recommended hotels in this area. More detailed information, please visit Where to Stay in Xiamen | Xiamen Hotels & Hostels >>

3. Climbing Wulao Mountain

Bypassing the Depository of Buddhist Sutras and about 10-feet-high Buddha character carved stone, visitors entered the range of Wulao Peak (五老峰). Walking slowly upward, visitors can see the panoramic view of Xiamen University. Overlook in a distance across the Lujiang river, Nantaiwu Mountain rises, like guarding the gate of Nanputuo temple. Another 10 minutes walk from the peak viewing platform, you can reach the Xiamen Botanical Garden (also known as Wanshi Botanical Garden) directly.

4. Other Tips for Visiting Nanputuo Temple

Don’t clamor loud, doodling, spitting everywhere, throwing the cigarette butt, the peel and paper scraps. Dress appropriately, avoid revealing and strange clothes. Don’t enter temples with meat or greasy food. Don’t fiddle with stuff in the temple, touching or scratching status in the temple is forbidden.