Bailin Temple (Bailin Chan Monastery)

Bailin Temple, also called Bailin Chan Monastery, stands on Yongtong Road in Zhaozhou Town, Zhao County, about 40 km south-east of Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province. It is a Chan (Zen) Buddhist monastery with a history reaching back to the Tang dynasty, and it is closely associated with the master Zhaozhou Congshen (778-897), whose teachings and short, paradoxical answers became famous in the Chan tradition and appear in koan collections studied worldwide. The monastery was long ruined and has been rebuilt since the 1980s, and today it is an active temple with gate halls, a Mahavira Hall, a meditation hall and a tall brick pagoda that dominates the skyline of the town. Monks live and practise here, and visitors can walk the courtyards, view the halls and observe ceremonies at certain times. A visit typically takes one to one and a half hours, which is enough to explore the grounds and photograph the pagoda from the courtyard. The best photo angles are from the main axis looking up at the pagoda and from the garden paths where the roofs and trees frame the view. The monastery is quiet on weekdays and busier during Buddhist festivals and public holidays, when pilgrims arrive to burn incense. Admission is free, and opening hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, so visitors should arrive in the morning. Bailin Temple is about 3 km from Zhaozhou Bridge, and it is easily combined with the bridge by walking or a short taxi ride. Visitors should dress modestly and speak quietly, and avoid photographing monks or worshippers without permission.