Feilai Feng 飞来峰

About Feilai Feng

Buddhist images occupy exposed rock faces and small grottoes, making this an outdoor sculpture visit rather than a summit climb. The broad relief of Budai with eighteen arhats contrasts with smaller figures and Yuan-period carvings showing Tibetan artistic influences. The name “Peak That Flew Here” belongs to religious legend; the visible attractions are the caves, stone carving and shaded streamside setting.

According to local tradition, Feilai Feng, or 'the Peak that Flew Hither' (飛來峰), originally stood in India, with some versions identifying it as Vulture Peak, and flew overnight to Hangzhou as a demonstration of the omnipotence of Buddhist law. The peak's limestone grottoes include Qinglin Grotto, Yuru Grotto and Longhong Grotto. Its main cave is dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin and has a crack in its ceiling that reaches the surface, so a person standing at a certain spot can see a sliver of sunlight, a feature known as 'one thread of heaven' (一线天).

What to look for

• The large Budai and Eighteen Arhats relief carved into the limestone.
• Qinglin and Yuru grottoes, among the caves containing Buddhist stone images.

Location & getting there

Getting to Feilai Feng

Use the Lingyin–Feilai Feng scenic approach from Lingyin Road. The carved hill is before Lingyin Temple, across the stream from the temple approach; follow the grotto paths rather than assuming the temple halls are the whole visit.