DAFO TEMPLE In the walled town of Zhengding, in China’s Hebei province, is the renowned Dafo Temple, home to a 69-ft (21-m) bronze statue of Guanyin, dating from AD 970. The town‘s charming streets are overlooked by temples and pagodas.
LAMA TEMPLE Beijing’s largest Buddhist temple is a majestic Tibetan Buddhist shrine. The centerpiece is a magnificent 56-ft (17-m) statue of the Maitreya Buddha, but don’t forget to explore the surrounding maze of hutongs (traditional Beijing alleyways).
JOKHANG TEMPLE Lhasa’s ancient and venerable Jokhang Temple is the most sacred in Tibet, and the focus for an endless stream of worshipers. The doors and frames of the Chapel of Chenresig are among the few remains of the original temple.
MENCIUS TEMPLE China’s largest Confucius temple lies at the heart of Qufu, in Shandong province, but it’s perhaps the little- visited Mencius Temple in nearby Zoucheng that you should explore instead for authentic flavors of old China.