Lingyin Temple is nestled in a long, narrow valley between Fei Lai Feng (Peak flown from Afar) and North Peak to the northwest of the West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. The temple is without doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake area and is also notable as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples of China. In 1961, the temple was listed for protection as a key provincial historical and cultural site and is considered a leading center for research on Chinese Buddhist culture.

The presence of a temple on this site can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 - 420AD) when, according to local legend Huili, an Indian monk, came to the area and he was inspired by the spiritual nature of the scenery he found there. In his mind this had to be a dwelling of the Immortals and so he gave the temple a name "Lingyin". The Chinese name is translated into English as either "Temple of the Soul's Retreat" or "Temple of Inspired Seclusion" for the setting has a quiet and beautiful grandeur that encourages a feeling of peace and contemplation.

The temple gained importance during the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) when the King of the Wu Yue State initiated large-scale development of the temple as a sign of his devotion to Buddha. In its heyday, the temple comprised of nine buildings, 18 pavilions, 77 palaces and halls with ove1,300 rooms capable of providing accommodation for around three thousand monks. A monastery of this scale is difficult to imagine and needless to say, over the centuries it has been subjected to many changes of fortune due to wars, religious repression and other calamities. The main temple that can be seen today is a result of the restoration that was carried out in 1974 following the ten-year Chinese Cultural Revolution.

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