Legends say 1600 years ago, an Indian monk came to Hangzhou and found the hills and peaks enchanting and thought it would be a perfect retreat of the soul. So he built a temple here and named it Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat (Linyin).

The front hall of Lingyin Temple is called Heavenly Guardian Hall and outside it is Cool Spring. The Grotto Carvings of Peak Flying from Afar is an ancient grotto art treasure, rarely seen in Yangtze South, and it can compete with Dazu Stone Carvings in Sichuan Province.