[2025 Xinchang Attraction] Travel Guide for Largest Buddha in Jiangnan (Updated May)

Shaoxing is not only the hometown of Lu Xun, but also a treasure city - Xinchang. When you come to Xinchang, you must visit the Great Buddha Temple. It is a 2.5-hour drive from Shanghai and a 1.5-hour drive from Hangzhou. Culture lovers should not miss it. 🚄Transportation: Take a high-speed train to Shengzhou Xinchang Station, then transfer to Bus No. 22 to Dafosi Station 🚗Self-driving: 1-2 hours from Hangzhou, 2.5 hours from Suzhou or Shanghai 🎫Ticket: CNY 70 if booked one day in advance ⏰Opening hours: 6:00-17:00 🏮My travel route: Foxin Square - Jiangnan No. 1 Buddha - Prajna Valley - Foxin Square - Qianfo Zen Temple - Aerial Walkway - Reclining Buddha Hall 🧨The Great Buddha Temple is connected to Foxin Square by a main entrance road. Centered on Foxin Square, the temple consists of five main areas and several temples. It is recommended to take an electric car from the entrance to Foxin Square. 🍓Check-in guide 1️⃣Jiangnan Great Buddha Fudao and Jiangnan Great Buddha are here. The Great Buddha was carved in 486 AD during the Southern Dynasties, with a height of about 14 meters. It is comparable to the Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes. The pavilions of the temple are also very characteristic and have a fairy-like atmosphere. 2️⃣Prajna Valley This is so worth it. The entire valley's statues and stone carvings are carved out of the mountain, intertwined with flowing waterfalls, full of Zen. After passing through a long dark passage, a giant statue suddenly appears in front of you, illuminated by sunlight. This sense of sanctity and oppression is very shocking. 3️⃣Qianfo Zen Temple It includes an aerial walkway, Qianfo Zen Temple, and Reclining Buddha Hall. Walking along the walkway from Foxin Square, you can see the temple and the mountain integrated into one. The cave is the main hall, simple and thick, not to be missed. 🥘Food There are Nanjie Carbohydrate Kingdom, Great Buddha Temple Vegetarian Noodles, coffee next to Foxin Square, Great Buddha Temple, and Wanda Plaza. Delicious and fun to visit! 🏠Accommodation You can stay near the Great Buddha Temple, which is convenient for eating, living, and traveling.

📌Shaoxing-Xinchang Big Buddha Temple This is the location of "Zhou Sheng Ru Gu", which is known as "Yueguo Dunhuang" and has a history of more than 1600 years... 🗺️Travel guide: 🧭Navigation: Xinchang Big Buddha Temple ⌚️Travel time: The scenic area is large and it is expected to take 3-4 hours. You can take a sightseeing car back to the entrance, 5 yuan per person. 🅿️Parking: There are multiple parking lots at the entrance of the scenic area, and the parking fee is 20 yuan. 🎫Tickets: Shaoxing people are free except for holidays, and the rest of the time the ticket is 80 yuan/person, and the online reservation is 70 yuan/person. ⛰️Scenic features: ✅Asia's first reclining Buddha: The reclining Buddha is soft and quiet, making people's hearts clear. ✅Jiangnan's first big Buddha: Located in the Daxiong Hall, it is very magnificent and requires the purchase of incense flower coupons. ✅Prajna Valley: Mysterious and quiet, it is the most beautiful and shocking place in the scenic area. There are waterfalls and Buddha statues on the stone wall🗿. ✅Buddha Mountain Holy Land: The huge Maitreya Buddha is perfectly integrated with the natural mountain.

The No. 1 Stone Carved Buddha in Jiangnan is located in the Dafo Temple Cultural Tourism Zone at No. 117, Renminxi Road, Chengguan Town, Xinchang County, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Here is a travel guide: • Opening hours: 6:00-17:00 • Ticket information: RMB 80/person, free for locals • Travel route: • One-day tour route: Visit Dafo Temple in the morning, including the No. 1 Stone Carved Buddha in Jiangnan, Luohan Cave, Shuanglin Grottoes, etc.; visit Banya Valley in the afternoon and enjoy the natural scenery. • Two-day tour route: • Day 1: Visit Dafo Temple during the day, stay in a hotel or guesthouse in the scenic area at night, and enjoy the night view of Dafo Temple. • Day 2: Get up early and visit Banya Valley, visit other attractions in the scenic area, such as Qianfo Zen Courtyard, Buddha Heart Square, etc. • Recommended attractions: • No. 1 Stone Carved Buddha in Jiangnan: The Buddha is built against the mountain, about 15 meters high, and is an outstanding representative of Southern Grotto Art. • Luohan Cave: There are 500 Luohan statues in the cave, each with a different shape and lifelike. • Shuanglin Grottoes: Home to Asia's largest reclining Buddha, the Buddha statues in the grottoes are exquisitely carved. • Banya Valley: The valley has waterfalls, streams, pavilions, etc., and the environment is beautiful. • Recommended cuisine: • Xinchang Fried Rice Cake: Xinchang's specialty food, soft and delicious. • Xinchang Taro Dumplings: Made with taro and flour, the outer skin is soft and the inner filling is delicious. • Xinchang Spring Pancakes: As thin as paper, crispy, and can be paired with various fillings. • Accommodation arrangements: • Inside the scenic area: There are many hotels and guesthouses to choose from, with beautiful surroundings and convenient transportation. • Outside the scenic area: You can choose to stay in Xinchang County, which is close to the scenic area and has convenient transportation. • Transportation guide: • Self-driving: You can search for "Xinchang Dafo Temple" on the navigation software and follow the prompts to get there. • Public transportation: You can take a high-speed rail or long-distance bus to Xinchang County, and then take a bus or taxi to the scenic area. The above guide is for reference only, you can adjust it according to your interests and time. During your trip, please pay attention to environmental protection and respect local customs. Have a pleasant trip!

Xinchang, located in the eastern part of Zhejiang Province, was historically called Yandong and also known as Shicheng. The county was established in 908 AD, with a history of more than 1100 years. Xinchang boasts beautiful scenery and excellent ecology, with its beautiful mountains and waters earning it the reputation of 'Southeast Beauty', and it is also the essence of the 'Tang Poetry Road', 'Buddhist Journey', and 'Tea Origin'. Xinchang is situated on the golden tourism line in eastern Zhejiang, with a wealth of tourism resources, offering nearly 300 scenic spots to visit. To the east, Xinchang connects with Fenghua Xikou to Putuo, to the south it leads to Tiantai to Yandang, to the west it neighbors Dongyang Hengdian to Jinhua, and to the north it links Shaoxing to Hangzhou, integrating into the economic circle within 3 hours to Shanghai, 2 hours to Hangzhou, and 1 hour to Ningbo. When in Xinchang, the Dafo Temple is a must-visit. Hidden among the continuous Shicheng Mountains, the Dafo Temple scenic area is only separated from the Xinchang urban area by one mountain. The Dafo Temple within the scenic area is the only national key open temple in the Shaoxing area and is the birthplace of the sinicization of Buddhism, with a history of more than 1600 years. Inside the temple, there is a stone Maitreya Buddha statue, which took three generations of high monks to complete and is known as the 'Greatest Buddha in Southern China'. Along with the 'Thousand Buddha Zen Temple' in the scenic area, it is a national key cultural relic protection unit. The Shijiufeng scenic area also has many landscapes, located 22 kilometers from the county town, mainly composed of the Shijiufeng, Dragon Valley, Chongyang Palace, and Silicified Wood National Geopark. Among them, Shijiufeng is a typical Danxia landform, with nineteen peaks stretching in a line along the river, majestic and beautiful, making it the preferred place for climbing and fitness; the Dragon Valley Feilong Walkway is built according to the mountain terrain, with a total length of 3200 meters, including a 128-meter glass suspension walkway, extending out to a glass viewing platform that is 4.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, making it the most distinctive sightseeing walkway in Zhejiang Province so far. Additionally, the Tianzhu Fairy Scenic Area is located at the source of the Ten-mile Qianxi in Xinchang, a paradise for summer retreats, vacations, and mountain climbing; the Qipan Fairy Valley Scenic Area with its clear streams, waterfalls, and peculiar rocks, displays the harmonious charm of nature and is also worth a good visit. In Xinchang, you can also check in at the China Tea Market Scenic Area and Dali Silk World Scenic Area for leisure and shopping. Traveling in Xinchang, you can also taste many special snacks, such as Xinchang fried rice cakes, taro dumplings, wheat cakes, zhali noodles, huolatou, wheat flower soup, spring pancakes, steamed soup buns, etc., enjoying the delicious flavors. Therefore, traveling to Xinchang is also the beginning of a carbohydrate kingdom journey.