Xiangji Temple

Opposite to Xiaohe Straight Street to the west bank of the Grand Canal，nestled in deep alleyways，is a monastery called Xiangji Temple，notable for being the only one worshiping Kinnara，in Chinese translated as“The Bodhisattva Supervising the Kitchen”.Built in 978，it was the first monastery to greet sailors and pilgrims that took the Grand Canal to Hangzhou.For pilgrims’convenience，the waterway directly connected to the temple gate.The present monastery was rebuilt in 2009，featuring a lavish use of copper in its ma jor buildings，including pillars，corridors，the drum tower，and prayer halls.The sole remnant of its former buildings is the eastern pagoda built in 1713. In 1345，the Moroccan Sufi jurist Ibn Battuta visited Hangzhou，noting it was the biggest city he had ever encountered on his global travels.The painted Chinese ships and colored sails moored in the canals there caught his fancy，prompting him to write on the placid farm fields，orchids，and people in black and floral silks.