Daxiangguo Temple: tickets, hours and how to visit
Founded in 555, rebuilt many times, still an active monastery with a huge bronze Guanyin.
Daxiangguo Temple at a glance
Founded in 555, rebuilt many times, still an active monastery with a huge bronze Guanyin. Plan on 1 hour here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | CNY 40. |
| Opening hours | 08:00–18:30 (summer), 08:00–17:30 (winter). |
| Time needed | 1 hour; 90 minutes with the vegetarian restaurant. |
| City | Kaifeng, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- The Mahavira Hallrebuilt Qing structure, 13 m Buddha, and the octagonal pillars
- The bell towera Song bronze bell, rung at New Year
- The vegetarian kitchenone of the oldest temple restaurants in China
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. CNY 40.
- Booking. It is a working monastery, so the halls close for the midday service around 11:00 and visitors are asked to step out. Also: the vegetarian restaurant behind the temple is the reason locals come, and it closes at 14:00.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
In the old city centre, 10 minutes walk from the Drum Tower night market. Cars drop at Ziyou Road; the temple gate is 200 m west.
08:00–18:30 (summer), 08:00–17:30 (winter).. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Daxiangguo Temple, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Kaifeng local note
- It is a working monastery, so the halls close for the midday service around 11:00 and visitors are asked to step out. Also: the vegetarian restaurant behind the temple is the reason locals come, and it closes at 14:00.
Pairing Daxiangguo Temple with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Daxiangguo Temple: questions travellers ask
Is it still an active temple?
Should I eat at the temple restaurant?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Daxiangguo Temple.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
