Temple des Dix Mille Bouddhas

Wanfo Temple — the "Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas" — is a Chinese Buddhist cave temple inside the Wanfenglin karst basin near Xingyi in southwestern Guizhou. Unlike most Chinese temples, which are built as freestanding halls on a central axis, Wanfo is constructed inside and around a large natural karst cave at the base of one of the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks' conical hills, using the cave itself as the main worship hall. The setting is what brings most visitors — the integration of cave, peak, and religious architecture is genuinely unusual even in a karst region.

The cave-chapel tradition has a long history in Chinese Buddhism, particularly in the southwest, where natural limestone caverns have been adapted as worship spaces since the Tang and Song dynasties. At Wanfo, the cave entrance has been formalized with a tile-roofed gateway, and the interior has been fitted with shrines, altars, incense burners, and rows of small Buddha statues — the "ten thousand buddhas" of the name — set into the cave's natural alcoves. The largest images face the cave mouth, lit by daylight; smaller ones disappear into the dimmer recesses.

The temple is located a short distance from the main Wanfenglin sightseeing road, and is often visited in combination with nearby karst features such as the peak-forest viewpoints, the Nahan stone forest, and the shore of Wanfeng Lake. The surrounding hills are classic Guizhou karst — green conical peaks, mossy boulders, small streams — and the path to the temple is a pleasant walk in itself.

For foreign travelers, Wanfo Temple is primarily a quiet cultural stop rather than a major destination. Active worship continues here, with local devotees coming to make offerings, light incense, and recite sutras, and the atmosphere is more contemplative than touristy. Photography is generally acceptable in the outer areas but should be respectful inside the cave hall, particularly when worship is in progress.

Combine Wanfo with a half-day loop around the Wanfenglin basin, allowing 30 to 60 minutes at the temple itself. It is a useful counterpoint to the geology-focused stops, and a chance to see how Chinese Buddhism has adapted itself to the karst landscape of southwest China.