Guanyin Hall

Six Banyan Temple (Liu Rong Si), Guangzhou

This view, from partway up the pagoda, shows the Guanyin hall to the west. It is a new building, added in 1987.

Liu Rong Si was built in 537 AD, to store Buddhist relics. It is also associated with Sixth Zen Patriarch Huineng, 638-713. Originally called Baozhangyan, the temple's current name refers to its banyan trees (no longer existing) that were admired by the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo. The temple's present form reflects a complicated history of damage, building, and rebuilding during the Song, Ming, Qing, and later periods.