Is Lingyin Temple free now, or do I still pay?
It is free. Since 1 December 2025 the Lingyin Feilai Feng (灵隐飞来峰) scenic area has had no ticket (免票). That covers Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺), Yongfu Temple (永福寺) and Taoguang Temple (韬光寺). The notice dated 19 November 2025, signed by the Lingyin Management Office of the Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, announced it. That link is the copy reposted by the Hangzhou CPPCC site; the original was not found on the scenic area committee's own site.
Free does not mean walk-in. Entry is by reservation: book a real-name time slot online first, using your passport. Opening hours are 7:30-17:30, and entry stops at 17:00.
Old ticket prices
If a guide quotes an entry price for Lingyin, it is out of date. The official notices say free admission since 1 December 2025.
How to book Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng as a foreigner
A real-name reservation is the standard entry route; the rules do not say whether foreign nationals can use the listed exemptions. The current rules are called Reservation Rules 2.0 (预约游览须知2.0). They were published on 29 January 2026 and have applied since 1 February 2026. A notice of 27 January 2026 announced the same changes.
- Open Alipay or WeChat and search for the mini-program 杭州灵隐飞来峰.
- Choose a date within the next 7 days. Today is not allowed.
- Choose the morning or afternoon slot.
- Enter the name and ID number of each visitor. One account can book up to 5 people.
- If your plans change, cancel before 17:00 on the day before.
- On the day, bring the original ID you booked with and expect a face check at the gate.
Reservation Rules 2.0 and the free-admission notice don't say whether the mini-program works with a foreign phone number or a foreign-registered Alipay or WeChat account, or whether it has an English version. If you want help working out the booking, we can help you plan the day and explain how to book. We do not book Lingyin reservations for guests.
What ID do I need as a foreigner?
Your passport (护照) works. Visitors from outside mainland China may book with any one of these:
- Hong Kong/Macao Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from the Mainland
- Taiwan Resident Travel Permit to the Mainland
- Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan Residence Permit
- Foreigner Permanent Residence ID Card
- Passport
Mainland visitors may only use the Chinese ID card. The slot is valid only for the person who owns the registered ID number. One ID can book once per day. Each visitor on an account needs a name, an ID number, a date and a slot.
At the gate, the 2026 rules say you enter with the original of your own valid ID card (身份证) and a face-to-ID match. The earlier 2025 notice says the original of the valid ID you used to book. If you booked with a passport, bring that original passport.
Children under 14 must be booked by an adult and verified together with that adult. Each adult can bring at most 3 minors. Tour groups are booked by the travel agency.
Morning and afternoon slots, and how far ahead to book
| Slot | Slot window | Entry limit in the rules |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 7:30-12:00 | Latest entry 13:00 |
| Afternoon | 12:00-17:00 | Earliest entry 11:00 |
The rules give both the slot windows and these entry limits and don't explain how they fit together. Arrive inside your slot. If you arrive outside it, you are refused entry. One ID can enter and leave only once a day. Checks stop half an hour before closing.
You can book up to 7 days ahead, and same-day booking is not accepted. New slots open every day at 08:00 Beijing time (00:00 UTC) for the next 7 days, first come first served. A booking is valid only for that day and that slot. The system also pushes an entry reminder from 08:00 each day for next-day bookings, and the rules suggest allowing the mini-program to send messages.
The daily quota, tour groups included, is 35,000 on weekdays, 50,000 on weekends and 65,000 on holidays. Reservation Rules 2.0 does not list which days count as holidays. An item dated 30 September 2026 says the National Day public holiday is 1-7 October 2026, but it says so about parking fees, so we would not assume the 65,000 figure on any given day. A Hangzhou Daily item of 17 June 2026 says booking generally succeeds if you book ahead. For 12 May to 12 June it reported about 9,000 spare places a day on weekdays and about 5,000 on weekends. That is past data, not a promise for your date.
Lingyin Temple slots full? Waitlist and walking in
When a slot is full, the mini-program opens a waitlist (线上候补). It went live on 28 January 2026, replaced on-site registration from 1 February 2026, and works like this:
- Register before 20:00 on the day before your visit. You can choose your own cut-off time.
- Allocation runs from 17:00 and ends at 22:00, in order of registration.
- The result arrives as a WeChat service notice or an Alipay service message. You can also check it in the mini-program.
- One account waitlists one slot at a time, for up to 5 people. Each person enters a name and ID number and does a face verification.
- A successful waitlist cannot be cancelled. If you are not checked in by 17:00 on the day, it counts as a no-show.
Do not plan on just turning up. The 2025 notice allowed walk-in registration when a slot was not full. That was replaced by the waitlist, and the on-site registration windows at the two visitor centres closed on 1 February 2026. The item dated 30 September 2026 says there is no offline ticket channel.
Who does not need a reservation?
These people enter without a reservation, showing the original of their valid document:
- People aged 70 or over
- Holders of the disability certificate (《残疾人证》)
- Holders of the Zhejiang 30-year teacher honour certificate or the Zhejiang unpaid blood donation honour certificate
- Holders of an armed-forces officer certificate (军官证, including 警官证), civilian cadre, non-commissioned officer, conscript or cadet certificate; or of a disabled servicemember certificate (残疾军人证) or a survivor preferential-treatment certificate (for martyrs, or for servicemembers who died on duty or of illness) issued by veterans affairs authorities
- Serving or disabled fire and rescue staff, and fire-college students
- Holders of an ordination certificate (戒牒证), or of a refuge-taking certificate (皈依证) from Lingyin, Yongfu or Taoguang temples
The rules don't say whether foreign nationals can use any of these exemptions, and they don't list any exemption by nationality. If you think you qualify, ask the 24-hour help line, 0571-87969691, before you go. Otherwise, book.
What if I miss my slot or cancel late?
Cancel before 17:00 on the day before your visit. That deadline has applied since 1 February 2026, so an older guide may give a different one.
If you are not checked in by 17:00 on the day, and did not cancel in time, it counts as one no-show. Then both your ID and your account cannot book or waitlist for 30 days, from the next day. The ban gets longer if it repeats within a year: 60 days for 2 no-shows and 90 days for 3. Using bots or paid booking services is treated as a violation, and flagged accounts can appeal.
Other charges and the credit booking scheme
The free-admission notice and Reservation Rules 2.0 do not say anything about other charges inside the area, such as incense, vegetarian meals or paid add-ons, so don't assume everything is free.
The 30 April 2026 item describes an optional Alipay credit booking scheme with rewards for keeping bookings through 30 June 2026, but gives no reward details or confirmation that the scheme continues after that date.
Getting to Lingyin Temple on busy days
The item dated 30 September 2026 says that in the autumn peak season (September to November), on weekends and holidays from 08:00 to 17:00, taxis and ride-hailing are controlled in the Lingyin area. Visitors can take a bus shuttle from the designated transfer points. The official bus and metro guide is published only as images, so this page does not list lines or stops. Check the route in your map app. For the wider trip, see our Hangzhou travel guide.
The official-site item dated 30 September 2026 repeats the same rules: book at least a day ahead, no same-day booking, no offline ticket channel, and up to 7 days ahead in the mini-program. Cancel if your plans change, so you don't hold a place someone else could use. The official pages reviewed for this guide show no later change to these rules.
