Plan at a glance
Location, ticket and hours
Daxiangguo Temple is at 36 West Section of Ziyou Road in Gulou District, Kaifeng. The most useful transport stop is “Xiangguo Temple” (相国寺站). An adult ticket costs CNY 40. Students and minors pay CNY 20, while discounts for visitors aged 60 or above, children under 1.4 metres, service members, and visitors with disabilities follow the relevant ID-card rules. Summer hours, from 1 April to 31 October, are roughly 08:00–18:30; winter hours, from 1 November to 31 March, are about 08:00–18:00.
Suggested visit length
Allow 40–60 minutes for the central axis from the gate through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, Eight-sided Glazed Hall, and Sutra Repository. For the Buddhist music performance in front of the Bell Tower and a closer look at more halls, allow 1.5–2 hours. Whether the music is performed and at what time follows the day's arrangements.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Eight-sided Glazed Hall
The Eight-sided Glazed Hall, also called the Arhat Hall, has an octagonal covered-walkway structure. At its centre is a four-faced, thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Guanyin carved from one ginkgo tree, about seven metres high. Slow down here to take in the scale of the hall, the wood carving, and the statue details.
Main halls and the Lu Zhishen sculpture
The rooflines, bracket sets, and interior space of Mahavira Hall are the main architectural highlights on the central axis. A sculpture of Lu Zhishen stands behind the Hall of Heavenly Kings. Architecture-focused visitors can follow the order of the halls, while visitors interested in literary figures can leave the Lu Zhishen scene for the end.
Who will enjoy this visit
Daxiangguo Temple suits visitors interested in Buddhist architecture, statues, and Kaifeng's urban history. It also works as a quiet 40–60-minute stop in the old city. Buddhist music is a service arranged for the day, and temple opening hours do not indicate its performance time; plan your stay around the time slot if you want to hear it.
Build your day
A 40–60 minute central-axis route
Enter through the main gate and follow the central axis through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, and Eight-sided Glazed Hall, ending at the Sutra Repository. When time is limited, prioritise the statue in Eight-sided Glazed Hall, Mahavira Hall, and the Lu Zhishen sculpture, then leave towards the exit.
This route focuses on the main buildings and statues and does not add a longer city walk. Summer closing time is about 18:30 and winter closing time about 18:00, so an afternoon visit should start with the central axis.
A 1.5–2 hour culture route
Follow the central axis at a slower pace and look more closely at the architecture of each hall. In front of the Bell Tower, see whether free Buddhist music is scheduled for around 10:00 or 11:00. The exact time and availability are arranged day by day; if there is no performance, continue through the other halls.
The main gate, the outside of Eight-sided Glazed Hall, and the Lu Zhishen sculpture are suitable photography stops. The temple is primarily a quiet visit; follow the on-site photography rules.
Linking the temple with an old-town walk
Daxiangguo Temple is in the old city, so you can add other urban attractions and lanes after the visit. Recheck the walking or bus route when continuing to places such as the Shan-Shaan-Gan Guild Hall; the temple ticket does not include admission to other attractions.
Get there
Public transport
Bus routes 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 16, 19, 23, 29, 31, and 32 stop at “Xiangguo Temple” (相国寺站). From the city centre, use Daxiangguo Temple as the direct taxi destination.
Entrance and city streets
The entrance is on Ziyou Road. Enter through the main gate and follow the on-site route. The old-city streets and traffic can be dense, so the taxi drop-off point may still leave a short walk to the gate.
Know before you go
Hours and the music service
Summer hours are roughly 08:00–18:30 and winter hours about 08:00–18:00. Buddhist music around 10:00 or 11:00 may be arranged for that day, but it is not performed every day.
Ticket and visitor categories
The adult ticket is CNY 40, and students and minors pay CNY 20. Discounts for older visitors, children, service members, and visitors with disabilities require the relevant ID and on-site rule confirmation. Different discount categories are checked separately.
Visit conditions
The main sights are concentrated along the central axis from the gate to the Sutra Repository, which takes about 40–60 minutes. To study the statues, architecture, and Buddhist music in more detail, extend the visit according to the day's schedule.