香积寺
Rebuilt Buddhist temple sheathed almost entirely in cast copper, enshrining the sole kitchen deity in Chinese Buddhism.
This guide to Xiangji Temple in Hangzhou opens with Kinnara, the lowest kitchen hand at Shaolin, a barefoot cook nobody bothered to name, stirring coals while monks of real standing prayed above him. Then, by tradition, an army of rebels stormed the gates in the mid-thirteen hundreds, and the cook walked out holding nothing but his fire poker. You'll hear how the temple rebuilt in 2010 used nearly four hundred tons of copper for its doors, roof tiles and railings, honoring a legend that started at the bottom of a monastery kitchen. Look for the copper crest ornaments along the eaves.
Audio guides are written and narrated by AI.