Seven days in the meditation hall

A Chan Seven (禅七, chán qī) is a week of intensive meditation in a Chinese Buddhist temple’s meditation hall. The days alternate periods of sitting with periods of walking, and the week is the unit: you join for whole weeks, not single days.

In winter, larger monasteries run several weeks back to back. Sizu Temple in Huangmei holds seven weeks, 49 days, from 9 December 2026 to 29 January 2027. Bailin Chan Monastery in Zhaoxian ran five weeks last winter and its 2026 calendar lists the next winter retreat from 23 December 2026 to 28 January 2027.

Both temples say the same thing about joining: each week is complete in itself. Bailin’s notice says you may not enter or leave in the middle of a week, and Sizu’s says no one enters the hall between the opening and the close of a week.

What the week asks of you

Dharma Drum Mountain’s notice for its February 2027 beginners’ Chan Seven gives a clear picture of the rules. You follow the group schedule and do not leave the campus without the retreat master’s permission. Phones are handed in at check-in, and photos and recordings are not allowed. Meals are vegetarian, you bring a sleeping bag or light quilt, and you wear loose clothes for sitting.

Teaching is part of each day. At Dharma Drum’s beginners’ retreat you hear four of Master Sheng Yen’s recorded talks a day, and monastics answer questions about practice. Chung Tai Chan Monastery describes ten sitting and walking sessions a day in its retreats.

Most Chan Sevens expect some experience. Bailin asks for ages 18 to 65 and a foundation in meditation, Sizu asks for refuge and meditation experience, and Dharma Drum’s bilingual retreat asks for at least one year of regular practice. The retreats at these temples charge no fee; donations are welcome.

How it differs from a Vipassana course or a sesshin

A ten-day Vipassana course in the tradition of S. N. Goenka follows the same format at every centre. It spans 12 days with arrival and departure, students keep Noble Silence until the morning of the last full day, and new students are welcome. Dhamma Mutta on Lantau Island runs these courses in English about every two weeks.

Sesshin is the Japanese Zen word for an intensive retreat, often of three to seven days, with talks and private interviews with the teacher. The Chan Seven is its Chinese counterpart: it is counted in weeks, often runs for several weeks in winter, and is usually taught in Mandarin.

Where foreign practitioners can join one

Dharma Drum Mountain in Jinshan, Taiwan, holds a bilingual intensive seven-day retreat from 3 to 10 December 2026, led by Gilbert Gutierrez, with a separate English registration form for people who cannot read Chinese; that form had closed to new submissions by 13 November 2026. It is free. A bilingual Silent Illumination retreat follows on 1–8 April 2027.

Chung Tai Chan Monastery in central Taiwan has spring retreats on 24–31 January and 7–14 February 2027, with English teaching for overseas participants. Places go through its branch meditation centres, and both retreats were already full when we checked.

In mainland China the winter retreats are taught in Mandarin. Sizu’s notice asks accepted applicants to register with a Chinese identity card, so passport holders should ask the guest office first. Bailin’s registration notice for this winter had not appeared when we checked; last year’s came in early December.

Before you apply

Start with your experience and your language. If you have never sat a long retreat, a ten-day Vipassana course or a short retreat is an easier first step. If you sit regularly and want the Chan hall, Dharma Drum’s bilingual retreat is the clearest door, and the mainland winter retreats suit those who speak Mandarin.

Each temple decides who it accepts, and places fill early. Tell us your dates and experience and we can ask the temple for you.

Find an experience