A CLOSER LOOK
Temple Stays & Retreats in China: How to Choose
Choose between temple life, a meditation retreat and residential martial arts study. Compare time, language and admission before contacting a host.
Purple Cloud Temple, Wudang Mountains Photo credits
Which kind of stay fits your trip?
Start with the day you want to have. Each guide then compares places and the conditions for joining them.
Temple community life
Join a temple’s meals, practice and shared work.
- Time & conditions
- Lotus Pond: 1–2 nights by enquiry; confirm passport eligibility and language.
- Before choosing
- Lodging does not automatically include a taught retreat.
Scheduled meditation retreat
Follow a set practice programme with a group.
- Time & conditions
- Check full arrival-to-departure dates, deadlines and prior-training requirements.
- Before choosing
- A short retreat is not necessarily open to beginners.
Shaolin martial arts school
Make regular kung fu training the focus of your stay.
- Time & conditions
- Xiaolong and Qufu publish week-long options; confirm your group and translation.
- Before choosing
- A Shaolin school is not necessarily inside the monastery.
Wudang tai chi & qigong
Spend your days studying tai chi or qigong at a school.
- Time & conditions
- Published options include seven days; confirm teacher, language and accommodation.
- Before choosing
- A nearby temple does not mean temple accommodation.