A Guide to Exploring Daxiangguo Temple in Kaifeng

🌈Basic Information & Features: 📍Address: 36 West Ziyou Road, Gulou District, Kaifeng, Henan Province 🎫Tickets: Adult: CNY 40 | Students/Teachers: Half price Free admission: Children under 1.4m, seniors over 60, military personnel, disabled persons, etc. ⏰Opening Hours: Summer (Mar 11-Oct 31): 8:00-18:30 | Winter (Nov 1-Mar 10): 8:00-18:00 ✨Highlights: One of China's top 10 Han Buddhist temples❗️A Northern Song Dynasty imperial temple + the original site where Lu Zhishen uprooted the willow tree in "Water Margin"🌳, thousand-year-old ginkgo temple + unique four-sided Thousand-Hand Guanyin! 🚗Transportation Guide: Self-driving: Navigate to "Daxiangguo Temple parking lot", arrive early on holidays for parking🚗 (parking fee about CNY 10/hour) By bus: Take bus 1/4/5/9 to "Xiangguo Temple" station🚌 (fare CNY 2) By high-speed rail: From Kaifeng North Station → CNY 30 taxi or Bus 8 → transfer to Bus 5 ✅Tips: Don't buy incense from street vendors! Three free incense sticks provided inside🙏 📅Touring Routes: 🌞Half-day Speed Tour: 1️⃣Morning: Photo the eaves at the mountain gate → touch the Four Heavenly Kings' implements at Tianwang Hall📿 → see "Central Plains' Greatest Hall" at the Main Hall🏯 2️⃣Afternoon: View 1,048-hand Guanyin at Octagonal Glazed Hall → take vintage photos at Sutra Repository → hear "Xiangguo Frost Bell" at Bell Tower🔔 🌙Two-day In-depth Tour: D1: Daxiangguo Temple → Judge Bao's Yamen → night tour in hanfu at Millennium City Park🏮 D2: Iron Pagoda Park → try soup dumplings and cold bean jelly at Drum Tower Night Market🍜 ⛱️Recommended Activities: Must-do TOP3: 📸Thousand-Hand Guanyin at Octagonal Glazed Hall (Qing Dynasty ginkgo wood carving) | 🔔Hear frost bell at Bell Tower | 📿Collect stamps at cultural shop for "Buddhist Destiny Certificate" Hidden experiences: 🌸Feed koi at the liberation pond (bring bread crumbs) | 🎶Chance to hear national intangible cultural heritage Buddhist music🎵 For culture enthusiasts: 🖌️View calligraphy exhibition at Sutra Repository | 📜Read temple stele about "Painting Sage" Wu Daozi's legend 🏨Accommodation & Facilities: Luxury option: Pullman Kaifeng (10-min walk, CNY 500+/person with breakfast)🏨 Value choice: Guesthouses near Drum Tower (CNY 80+/person, night food downstairs)🏡 Trendy experience: Millennium City Park Inn (includes hanfu experience + park tickets)👘 Services: Free luggage storage | Full Wi-Fi coverage | Multi-language audio guides (CNY 30/day) 💗Travel Tips: ✅Best photo spots: 📍Mountain gate upward view | 🌿Liberation pond stone bridge | Panoramic view at Sutra Repository ✅Warnings: 🚫Don't touch Buddha statues! No flash photography in halls📵 🍜Bring water bottle! Free spring water available, bottled water costs CNY 8 ✅Fun facts: 🌳Original site of Lu Zhishen's ordination | Thousand-Hand Guanyin took 58 years to carve from one ginkgo tree❗️ ✅Etiquette: 🙏Enter halls through left door, exit through right | Clockwise circumambulation for blessings ✅Hidden perks: 🎁Recite Heart Sutra for free audio guide (limited to 5 people daily)