# Hangzhou Historic Temples and Churches on the City's List

> Hangzhou historic temples and churches on the city's list: 13 temples, temple sites, nunneries and Sichengtang Church, with what survives and what is open.

Canonical: https://hangzhoumemory.org/temples-and-churches
Updated: 2026-10-30

Hangzhou historic temples and churches on the city's historic buildings list number 13: Buddhist temples and their former sites, nunneries, buildings that once belonged to temples, and Sichengtang Church. Several have been restored and reopened; others survive only as a hall or a courtyard in other use.

## In brief

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.

**By batch**

| Batch | Announced | Buildings of this type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [First](/first-batch) | 24 May 2004 | 7 |
| [Second](/second-batch) | 1 July 2005 | 1 |
| [Third](/third-batch) | 6 March 2007 | 1 |
| [Fourth](/fourth-batch) | 14 August 2008 | 0 |
| [Fifth](/fifth-batch) | 22 March 2010 | 4 |

## Five to know

- [The Former Site of Xianning Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/古城佳话-历史建筑-显宁寺旧址): founded in the Five Dynasties period at the foot of Banshan, paired in an old saying with Lingyin; one hall of 1930 survives, and the temple reopened in November 2019 after restoration.
- [The Former Site of Manao Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/玛瑙寺旧址): founded in 946, destroyed in the Taiping war and restored at the end of the Qing dynasty; the listing calls it Hangzhou's representative temple garden.
- [The Former Site of Zhaoxian Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/招贤寺旧址): founded in the Tang dynasty, destroyed at the end of the Yuan and rebuilt from 1676 by the monk Qigang.
- [The Complex of Mituo Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/弥陀寺建筑群): a late-Qing Pure Land temple whose *Amitabha Sutra*, carved across a 24-metre rock face, is the largest cliff inscription in Hangzhou; a cultural park since 2016.
- [Sichengtang Church](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/思澄堂): a Protestant church built 1924–1927 on a cross-shaped plan with Chinese eaves, seating about 1,800.

## All 13 on the list

**Temples and churches on Hangzhou's historic buildings list**

| No. | Building | Built | Address (Chinese) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LSJZ1-3 | [The Former Site of Shi Guanyin Ge Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/古城佳话-历史建筑-石观音阁旧址) 石观音阁旧址 | Qing dynasty | 元宝心路67号 |
| LSJZ1-4 | [The Former Site of Xianning Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/古城佳话-历史建筑-显宁寺旧址) 显宁寺旧址 | Founded in the Five Dynasties period; rebuilt 1911–1949 | 半山街道刘文村 |
| LSJZ1-33 | [Sichengtang Church](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/思澄堂) 思澄堂 | Between 1911 and 1949 | 解放路132号 |
| LSJZ1-36 | [Shuangmiao Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/双庙) 双庙 | Qing dynasty | 双庙38号 |
| LSJZ1-42 | [The Former Site of Manao Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/玛瑙寺旧址) 玛瑙寺旧址 | Founded in 946; restored at the end of the Qing dynasty | 葛岭路17号 |
| LSJZ1-52 | [Yuxiu Buddhist Nunnery](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/古城佳话-历史建筑-毓秀庵) 毓秀庵 | Early 20th century | 北山路37号 |
| LSJZ1-57 | [The Former Site of Zhaoxian Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/招贤寺旧址) 招贤寺旧址 | Founded in the Tang dynasty; rebuilt in the Qing dynasty | 北山路61号 |
| LSJZ2-44 | [The Complex of Mituo Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/弥陀寺建筑群) 弥陀寺建筑群 | 1850s | 弥陀寺公园内 |
| LSJZ3-51 | [Muchan Jingshe Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/古城佳话-历史建筑-慕禅精舍) 慕禅精舍 | 1930s |  |
| LSJZ5-12 | [Architecture at the Site of Chongren Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/崇仁庙遗址建筑-2) 崇仁庙遗址建筑 | Late Qing dynasty |  |
| LSJZ5-19 | [Buildings at 99 and 100, Mituosi Road](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/弥陀寺路99号100号建筑-2) 弥陀寺路99、100号建筑 | Late Qing dynasty | 弥陀寺路99、100号 |
| LSJZ5-20 | [Buildings at 15, 18, 20, and 28, Liushuiqiao Alley](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/流水桥弄15号18号20号28号建筑-2) 流水桥弄15、18、20、28号建筑 | Early Republic of China | 流水桥弄15、18、20、28号 |
| LSJZ5-27 | [Architectural complex at the Site of Fantian Temple](/web/guest/lsjz-content_display/-/asset_publisher/0qkI/content/梵天寺遗址建筑群-2) 梵天寺遗址建筑群 | Between 1911 and 1949 |  |

## Sources

Hangzhou Memory groups the buildings by type from their names and descriptions; the city's lists do not classify them. Names and descriptions come from English Wikipedia's batch lists, and Chinese names, periods and addresses from [杭州市历史建筑](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/杭州市历史建筑) on Chinese Wikipedia, both CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you visit Hangzhou's listed temples?

Some: Xianning Temple reopened in 2019, Mituo Temple has been a cultural park since 2016 and Sichengtang Church holds services. Others are former sites now in other use and can only be seen from outside.