Kaiyuan Temple, Fuzhou

Fuzhou Kaiyuan Temple, the oldest surviving Buddhist temple in the city, was founded in the 3rd year of the Taikang reign of the Western Jin Dynasty, boasting a history of over 1,700 years and sitting at the heart of ancient Fuzhou. 

It houses state-level cultural treasures including a thousand-year-old iron Buddha from the Song Dynasty and a Medicine Buddha stone pagoda from the Ming Dynasty. Featuring a simple, stately architectural style, it offers tranquility amid downtown bustle with excessive commercialization kept at bay. 

As one of the few ancient temples that fully traces Fuzhou’s Buddhist evolution from the Jin Dynasty to modern times, it draws visitors from all year round.