# The Complex of Mituo Temple

> The Complex of Mituo Temple (LSJZ2-44) is a declared historic building of Hangzhou, listed in 2005. Built in the 1850s. Chinese name: 弥陀寺建筑群.

Canonical: https://hangzhoumemory.org/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/%E5%BC%A5%E9%99%80%E5%AF%BA%E5%BB%BA%E7%AD%91%E7%BE%A4
Updated: 2026-10-30

**The Complex of Mituo Temple** (弥陀寺建筑群) is a religious building in Hangzhou, China, built in the 1850s. The city declared it a protected historic building on 1 July 2005, as number LSJZ2-44 in the second batch of 47.

## What the listing says

![The Complex of Mituo Temple](https://hangzhoumemory.org/photos/lsjz2-44.webp)

*The Complex of Mituo Temple (弥陀寺建筑群). Photo: 猫猫的日记本, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mituo_Temple_in_Hangzhou_11_2018-09.jpg).*

The city's description, as summarised on English Wikipedia: Constructed in the 1850s, this building was one of the four largest temples in Hangzhou. Now only its traditionally Chinese style main hall and bonze’s dormitories are left.

Mituo Temple stands below Xiaohuoshan, also called Mituo Hill, in Songmuchang, Xihu District, now inside Mituo Temple Park. It was a Pure Land Buddhist temple; the Chinese Wikipedia article dates its founding to 1878, while the city's listing gives the 1850s. In the twentieth century it served as a school, a factory and housing, and after restoration it reopened in July 2016 as a cultural park rather than a working temple. Its best-known feature is the *Amitabha Sutra* carved across a rock face: 24 metres long and about 5 metres high, 2,194 characters of about 15 cm each, written by Shen Shandeng. It is the largest cliff inscription surviving in Hangzhou.

## Key facts

**The Complex of Mituo Temple at a glance**

| Fact | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| List number | LSJZ2-44 |
| Chinese name | 弥陀寺建筑群 |
| Batch | [Second batch](/second-batch), announced 1 July 2005 |
| Built | 1850s |
| Listed address | 弥陀寺公园内 |
| Type | [Temples and churches](/temples-and-churches) |

## Where it fits

Hangzhou has been a centre of Buddhism for more than a thousand years, and the list includes former temple sites, nunneries and halls as well as a Protestant church of the 1920s. Many of these buildings lost their religious use in the twentieth century and served as schools, factories or homes; the listing protects what survives of their halls and courtyards. [All the temples and churches on the list](/temples-and-churches).

It belongs to the [second batch](/second-batch), announced on 1 July 2005: 47 buildings, including 1920s lanes, university campuses of the 1950s and 1960s, Hangzhou Gymnasium and the villas of Lingyin and Shengtang roads.

## What the listing protects

A listed building may not be altered, moved or demolished without approval. Under the [regulations in force since 1 October 2013](/protection-regulations), each listed building has a protection plan and a sign put up by the city, and falls into one of three protection categories, from keeping its main exterior features to keeping its exterior, plan, structure and details.

Its owner, or for a state-owned building its user, is responsible for upkeep and repairs, and a repair plan must be approved first. The listing does not open a building to the public: most listed buildings are still homes, offices, schools or shops.

## Next to it on the list

- [Shihan Villa](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/石函精舍): LSJZ2-43, 1920s
- [Huai Villa](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/怀庐): LSJZ2-45, between 1911 and 1949

## Sources and licence

- Description: adapted from the English Wikipedia article [List of second batch of declared historic buildings in Hangzhou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_second_batch_of_declared_historic_buildings_in_Hangzhou), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
- Chinese name, period, address and remarks: Chinese Wikipedia, [杭州市历史建筑](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/杭州市历史建筑) and the building's own article, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Listing: Hangzhou municipal government notice 杭政办函〔2005〕193号 of 1 July 2005.
- Photo: 猫猫的日记本, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), from [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mituo_Temple_in_Hangzhou_11_2018-09.jpg). Photos credited to "hangzhoumemory" or "Laohangzhou" were uploaded by the former heritage portal; Hangzhou Memory is not connected with it.
- The text of this page is available under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Where is The Complex of Mituo Temple?

The city's list gives its address as 弥陀寺公园内, Hangzhou. Chinese map apps and taxi drivers will recognise the address in Chinese.

### When was The Complex of Mituo Temple declared a historic building?

On 1 July 2005, as number LSJZ2-44 in the second batch of 47 historic buildings announced by the Hangzhou municipal government (杭政办函〔2005〕193号).

### What does LSJZ2-44 mean?

It is the building's number on the city's list. LSJZ abbreviates *lishi jianzhu*, "historic building"; 2 is the batch and 44 its place in that batch.