Every 20 years the main halls of Ise Jingū are torn down and rebuilt in fresh cypress on the plot next door, a ritual repeated for some 1,300 years; the last rebuild was in 2013 and the next is due in 2033. A few hundred kilometres away, monks on Mount Kōya still bring daily meals to the mausoleum of the founder of their sect, who died in 835.
That mix of living ritual and great age runs right across the region. Pilgrims prostrate themselves around the Jokhang in Lhasa, emperors once climbed the stone stairway of Mount Tai to report to heaven, and in Korea’s Haeinsa more than 80,000 carved woodblocks of the Buddhist canon have survived in wooden halls since the 15th century.
Many of these places let you stay the night. You can sleep in a temple lodging on Koyasan, join a templestay in a Korean mountain monastery, or overnight near the summit of Mount Emei to catch the sunrise over a sea of cloud.
At a Glance#
- Japan’s great shrines: the torii tunnels of Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, the sun goddess’s shrine at Ise and the island shrine of Itsukushima.
- Temple stays: shukubo lodgings on Mount Kōya in Japan and templestays at Haeinsa, Songgwangsa and other Korean monasteries.
- Tibetan Buddhism: the Potala Palace and Jokhang in Lhasa, and Labrang Monastery at Xiahe outside Tibet.
- China’s holy mountains: Buddhist Emei Shan and Wutai Shan, Taoist Mount Tai and the Wudang Mountains.
- Mongolia: Erdene Zuu at Kharkhorin and Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar.
- Pilgrim walks: the Kumano Kodo and the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage in Japan.
Japan#
Fushimi Inari-taisha in southern Kyoto is the head shrine of Inari, the god of rice and business. Thousands of vermilion torii, each donated by a company or family, form tunnels up the slopes of Mount Inari. The shrine is free and never closes; the full loop to the summit takes two to three hours, and the crowds thin out sharply once you pass the halfway viewpoint. Go at dawn or after dark. Kyoto also has Kinkaku-ji, the gold-leafed Zen pavilion over its pond, and Kiyomizu-dera on its wooden stage; our Kyoto temples guide covers fees and timing.
Ise Jingū is the most sacred site in Shinto. The Inner Shrine (Naikū) honours the sun goddess Amaterasu, the Outer Shrine (Gekū) the goddess of food, and custom says you visit Gekū first. Both are free, and the inner halls are hidden behind fences: what you see is the forest, the Isuzu River and the plain cypress roofs.
Mount Kōya, two hours from Osaka by Nankai train and cable car, is the centre of Shingon Buddhism, founded by Kūkai in the 9th century. Around 50 of its temples take overnight guests in shukubo lodgings, with a vegetarian dinner, a futon on tatami and morning prayers. Walk the lantern-lit cemetery path through Okunoin at dusk. Other standouts are the deer park and Tōdai-ji’s giant Buddha in Nara, Nikkō Tōshō-gū north of Tokyo, and Izumo Taisha on the Sea of Japan. See Temples and Shrines in Japan for the full list.
Tibet and the Tibetan world#
The Potala Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lamas, rises 13 storeys above Lhasa. A short walk away, the Jokhang is Tibet’s holiest temple, and the Barkhor circuit around it is busy from dawn with pilgrims spinning prayer wheels. The monasteries of Drepung and Sera, where monks debate in the courtyard most afternoons, sit on the edge of the city.
Foreigners need a Tibet Travel Permit and must travel with a licensed agency and guide, so arrange the trip a month or more ahead. Potala tickets cost about 200 yuan (about 28 USD) from May to October and half that in winter. They must be reserved in advance, and visits are timed.
Outside the Tibet Autonomous Region you need no permit. Labrang Monastery at Xiahe in Gansu is one of the great Gelug monasteries, with a kora of about 3 km lined with prayer wheels. Back inside Tibet, the kora around Mount Kailash in the far west is the toughest pilgrimage in the region and needs extra permits.
China's holy mountains#
China has four Buddhist and five Taoist sacred mountains, and each is a long climb past temples. Mount Tai in Shandong is the most revered: a stairway of more than 6,000 steps leads to summit shrines, and many people start at night to watch the sunrise. Mount Emei in Sichuan, sacred to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, climbs through cloud forest to the Golden Summit at over 3,000 m. Combine it with the Leshan Giant Buddha nearby.
Wutai Shan in Shanxi, a cluster of temples on five flat-topped peaks, keeps some of the oldest wooden halls in China. The Wudang Mountains in Hubei are the home of Taoist martial arts, and schools there teach tai chi to visitors. In the cities, Yonghe Temple in Beijing and Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou are easy half days. Our China temples guide has more.
Korea#
Korean Buddhism lives in the mountains. Haeinsa holds the Tripitaka Koreana, more than 80,000 woodblocks carved in the 13th century and stored in ventilated 15th-century halls. Bulguksa and the Seokguram grotto Buddha in Gyeongju are the classic pair, and Jogyesa in central Seoul is the place to see the Lotus Lantern Festival before Buddha’s Birthday.
The Templestay programme runs at over 100 temples, many with English-speaking staff. An overnight stay with a 4am chanting service, meditation, tea with a monk and temple meals usually costs about 50,000 to 100,000 won (about 35 to 70 USD), and discounted foreigner deals come up most years. Book on the official Templestay site. More in Temples in South Korea.
Mongolia and Hong Kong#
Erdene Zuu, founded in 1585 with stones from the old Mongol capital at Kharkhorin, is ringed by a wall of 108 stupas, a day’s drive west of Ulaanbaatar. In the capital, Gandan Monastery survived the purges of the 1930s and is busy with monks again; come for morning prayers.
In Hong Kong, the Big Buddha sits on a hill at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, reached by the Ngong Ping 360 cable car or bus and a climb of about 270 steps. Climbing to the statue is free, and the Po Lin Monastery below serves vegetarian lunches.
Visiting respectfully#
Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and take off your shoes where others do. At Shinto shrines, rinse your hands at the water basin before you approach. Walk clockwise around Tibetan temples, stupas and prayer wheels. Ask before you photograph monks or worshippers, and keep away from the ceremonies themselves. Most temple lodgings in Japan and Korea take cash only and have an early, fixed schedule.
Book Koyasan shukubo and Korean templestays at least a few weeks ahead for autumn leaves and spring. Expect about 12,000 to 30,000 yen (about 80 to 200 USD) a person on Koyasan, with dinner and breakfast included.
Best sacred places in East Asia#
More Things to Do#
East Asia sacred places FAQs#
What is the most sacred place in Japan?
Ise Jingū in Mie Prefecture, the shrine of the sun goddess Amaterasu, is the holiest site in Shinto. Koyasan is the most important Buddhist centre, and Fushimi Inari is the most visited shrine.
Can tourists stay overnight in a temple in Japan or Korea?
Yes. About 50 temples on Koyasan run shukubo lodgings with vegetarian meals and morning prayers, and Korea’s Templestay programme runs at over 100 temples, usually for about 50,000 to 100,000 won a night.
Do I need a permit to visit the Potala Palace?
Yes. Foreigners need a Tibet Travel Permit and must book a tour with a licensed agency, which also reserves your timed Potala ticket. Allow a month or more for the paperwork.
What are China's sacred mountains?
The four Buddhist mountains are Emei, Wutai, Jiuhua and Putuo. The five Taoist peaks are Tai, Hua, Heng in Hunan, Heng in Shanxi and Song, with Wudang also central to Taoism.
Is Fushimi Inari free?
Yes, the shrine is free and open 24 hours. Go at dawn or in the evening to avoid the crowds, and allow two to three hours for the full climb.
Can you visit Erdene Zuu from Ulaanbaatar in a day?
It is possible but long, at about six to seven hours each way by road. Most people stay at least one night in Kharkhorin or a nearby ger camp and combine it with the Orkhon Valley.