Tiantai Mountain Meditation Retreat in ChinaZhejiang, China

Arrival & settling

First Encounter with the Waterfall

Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport → Tiantai Mountain

Arrive, settle into mountain pace, and begin with the Tiantai Great Waterfall.

09:00

Meet at Xiaoshan Airport; travel by private vehicle to Tiantai Mountain.

11:30

Lunch en route.

13:00

Check in to the guesthouse.

14:10

Visit Tiantai Great Waterfall in the Great Qiongtai Scenic Area.

17:00

Light guesthouse dinner; early rest to gather the mind.

A first meeting with water and stone: arrive without haste, then rest deeply.

Itinerary

Seeking Stillness in the Valley

Qiongtai Valley · Huading Forest Park · Wannian Temple

A day to let mountain air and temple thresholds soften the mind before entering retreat rhythm.

09:00

Explore Qiongtai Valley; pause among clear water and cliffs.

13:30

Walk the old Huading path and pay respects at Huading Temple.

16:30

Arrive at Wannian Temple and take a vegetarian temple meal.

Collect the heart for practice; the next day begins temple retreat and the community rhythm.

Itinerary

First Day of Temple Practice

Wannian Temple · retreat begins

Follow the temple timetable with care: chanting, meals in silence, sitting, work, copying, and evening practice.

05:30

Morning chanting; settle with the sound of the liturgy.

06:30

Temple breakfast; eat in silence.

08:00

Seated meditation and quiet observation.

10:00

Temple work; the practice of work and cultivation together.

14:30

Sutra-copying session with a selected passage from Mohe Zhiguan.

18:30

Evening chanting and a teaching / Q&A.

21:00

Lights out; step away from phone-based entertainment.

Itinerary

Walking Meditation, Practice Completed

Wannian Temple · forest paths and tea practice

A full day where walking, sitting, tea, and temple visiting meet inside one rhythm of practice.

05:30

Morning practice; enter the complete temple rhythm of bells and drums.

08:00

Forest walking meditation along the back-mountain path.

10:30

Seated tea practice with Huading cloud-mist tea.

14:30

Visit Zhejiang Buddhist Academy and the ancient willow and cedar trees.

17:00

Closing circle and final teaching.

Walking, standing, sitting, and resting: each can become practice. Evening rest follows the two-day retreat.

Itinerary

Shiliang Waterfall, Mountain Stillness

Shiliang Waterfall · Zhexi Old Street

Follow the terrain of water and stone, then return to the lived texture of Tiantai in the evening.

08:00

Temple breakfast, then depart for Shiliang Waterfall.

08:30

See the waterfall pass beneath its natural stone bridge; sit quietly by the water.

11:30

Simple local lunch near the scenic area.

14:30

Meditation beside the waterfall pool; let the mind enter the landscape.

16:30

Return to town and check into the guesthouse.

19:00

Walk Zhexi Old Street; hold movement and stillness together.

Itinerary

Tracing the Tiantai Lineage

Guoqing Temple · Zhizhe Pagoda Courtyard · Chicheng Mountain · Jigong Residence

A cultural and historical day, moving from quiet temple courtyards to mountain and town life.

07:30

Guoqing Temple: morning visit and respectful offering.

09:30

Zhizhe Pagoda Courtyard: a quiet courtyard deep in the hills.

12:00

Return to town for lunch.

13:30

Chicheng Mountain: climb for the red-rock sunset.

16:30

Jigong Residence: a glimpse of everyday Chan culture.

Sui pagoda, ancient plum, Hanshi Pavilion: continue the retreat state with evening sutra copying at the guesthouse.

Closing & departure

A Quiet Closing, Returning Home

Tiantai Mountain → Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport

Leave slowly, carrying the gathered attention of seven days back into ordinary life.

08:00

Free morning practice: tea, sitting, arranging reflections, or a short walk by Shifeng Lake.

11:30

Local vegetarian lunch and a closing meal.

Afternoon

Pack, then transfer to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport for departure.

Bring a steadier heart back to the everyday.