Haizang Temple Gansu

A fascinating active monastery with a minute pavilion to the right of the entrance containing a well whose ‘magic waters’ (神水, shénshuǐ) are said to connect by subterranean streams to a Holy Lake (圣湖, Shènghú) in the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Drinking the water is said to cure myriad ailments. Bus 5 (¥2) towards Haizang Gongyuan (海藏公园) or a taxi (¥10) will take you the short trip outside town to Haizang Park entrance (¥2); the temple is out back. Bus 1 (¥2) also runs from the main bus station to the temple. The Three Sages Hall (Sānshèng Diàn) contains a ‘hermaphroditic Guanyin’. Dating to the Ming dynasty, the raised Wuliang Palace (Wúliàng Diàn) was once used to store sutras but now houses a reclining Buddha in a glass cabinet.