This Buddhist temple complex was first built in AD 537 to enshrine Buddhist relics brought over from India and placed in the octagonal Decorated Pagoda (Huā Tǎ). The temple was given its current name by the exiled poet Su Dongbo in 1099, who waxed lyrical over the banyans in the courtyard. Though not the original trees, the current banyans are over 170 years old. You can see the character's 'six banyans' (liùróng) that Su wrote above the gates.
Many prominent monks taught here, including Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. The on-site canteen serves simple vegetarian meals of tofu skin, vegetables and rice for ¥6 daily at around noon. You can also take metro Line 1 to Ximenkou, but any metro involves an 800m walk.
