Plan at a glance
Location, ticket and opening hours
Yongquan Temple is halfway up Gushan at an elevation of about 455 metres. Common approaches are from the foot of Gushan or the Eighteen Views entrance. The temple costs CNY 40 per person, with half-price tickets for students and free entry for visitors aged 60 and above; the Gushan hiking trail is free and the Eighteen Views costs CNY 10 separately.
Yongquan Temple is open 06:30–17:30. Tickets are available on site, and some platforms may support online booking. The temple is a separately ticketed stop within Gushan, so free access to the hiking trail does not make the temple free.
Suggested visit length
Allow about 2 hours for the main halls and Lingyuan Cave. If you combine the ancient trail, Yongquan Temple, the Eighteen Views, Baiyun Peak and the return transport, allow about 3–4 hours. The temple suits visitors interested in temple culture, traditional architecture and photography who are comfortable walking in a mountain setting.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Temple buildings and the glazed pagoda
Inside the temple, a practical order is the mountain gate, the Thousand-Buddha Glazed Pagoda, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Mahavira Hall, the Life-Release Pond and Huilong Pavilion. The glazed pagoda, made in the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song, is a representative relic; each pagoda contains 1,078 Buddha figures. The Hall of Heavenly Kings holds the Kangxi emperor's calligraphic plaque reading “Yongquan Temple.”
Cliff inscriptions and Huilong Pavilion
Lingyuan Cave has cliff inscriptions dating from the Song dynasty onwards. Zhu Xi's character for “longevity” and Cai Xiang's “Wanggui Stone” are two easier examples to identify. Huilong Pavilion looks down toward the temple's red walls and roofs from a higher position; add it after the main temple route only if the area is open and the footing is safe.
Visitor fit and physical limits
Yongquan Temple suits visitors interested in history, religious architecture and photography, as well as those who want to combine Gushan scenery with a temple visit. There are stone steps inside and outside the temple, and surfaces may be slippery after rain. If someone in your group cannot manage continuous climbing, use scenic-area transport and keep the walk close to the temple gate and main halls.
Build your day
A temple-focused route of about 2 hours
Enter through the temple gate, visit the Thousand-Buddha Glazed Pagoda, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Bell and Drum Towers, Mahavira Hall, Life-Release Pond and Huilong Pavilion, then continue to Lingyuan Cave before leaving. This suits visitors with limited time and focuses on the temple buildings and cliff inscriptions without adding the full Gushan ancient trail.
If you arrive in the afternoon, confirm the temple's 17:30 closing time before deciding whether to continue to the Eighteen Views or Baiyun Peak. Do not treat a short visit close to closing time as a complete temple route.
A 3–4 hour culture-and-mountain route
If your energy allows, hike up from the foot of the mountain along the ancient trail, visit Yongquan Temple, then see the cliff inscriptions at Lingyuan Cave and the Eighteen Views before continuing to Baiyun Peak and taking the cable car down. The ancient-trail climb takes about 1.5–2 hours, and the temple route requires additional time; wear non-slip shoes and bring water.
You can also take scenic-area transport to the temple gate and reserve more time for the temple, Lingyuan Cave and the Eighteen Views. This reduces the uphill effort, but the bus, cable car and temple ticket remain separate costs.
A lower-effort option when on-site rules allow
Some visitor arrangements connect the temple from the Eighteen Views, Banruo Garden and the scenic-area shuttle. This can suit visitors who want less walking or want to control costs, but it depends on the day's shuttle, temple-entry and opening rules. Follow the route and ticket conditions allowed on site that day rather than treating it as a fixed free-entry option.
Get there
Metro and scenic-area transport
Take Fuzhou Metro Line 2 to Gushan Station, use Exit A or B to reach the foot of the mountain, and then take the scenic-area shuttle bus. A one-way bus ride costs about CNY 10 and takes about 10 minutes. You can also take the cable car uphill, about CNY 50 one way or CNY 70 return; from the Eighteen Views, walk about 10 minutes to the temple gate.
If you hike, the ancient trail takes about 1.5–2 hours uphill and has pavilions and cliff inscriptions along the way. Drivers can navigate to Gushan Scenic Area and use Xiayuan Parking Lots 1 or 2; arrive early at weekends.
Entrance and descent planning
Yongquan Temple, the Eighteen Views and the visitor centre are not the same entrance. When using the cable car, include the walk from the Eighteen Views to the temple gate; when using the shuttle, confirm the drop-off and return stops. If you will move between the east and west sides, do not leave your car far from the exit you plan to use.
Know before you go
Opening hours and the “free entry at night” claim
Yongquan Temple's normal opening hours are 06:30–17:30. Do not go uphill near closing time just to try to save on the ticket. Mountain roads and return transport after dark are not suitable for a last-minute temple visit.
The Eighteen Views, hiking trail, cable car and scenic-area bus each have their own opening or last-service times. Cable-car queues can be long on holidays, so arriving early, hiking up or taking the bus is usually more reliable than going uphill close to closing time.
Equipment, supplies and photography
The ancient trail and temple steps can be slippery after rain. Wear supportive non-slip sports shoes and bring water, sun protection and a small amount of food. Paid photography inside the Eighteen Views is optional, not a condition of temple entry; you can use your own phone or camera while following the temple's quiet and on-site management rules.
Supplies are usually easier to buy at the foot of the mountain than higher up. Vegetarian food at Yongquan Temple, Fuzhou snacks at the foot of the mountain and nearby Gushan restaurants can provide a break, but do not let a meal make you miss the temple or return transport.
Nearby combinations
Yongquan Temple can be combined with the Eighteen Views, Baiyun Peak and Banruo Garden as part of a Gushan day. You can also make the temple the main purpose of the visit. If you want to add Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Shangxiahang or Yantai Mountain on the same day, descend first and decide on the city route according to your actual finishing time.