First off, unless you're a monk - or at least a regular visitor - you'll probably have to buy a ticket. Prices range from RMB 2 for the modest street-corner temple, to a double-digit fee for the biggest, oldest and most extravagant monasteries. But before you tack a complaint on the monastery door, keep in mind that the high entrance fee is typically mandated by the municipal tourist bureau, not the monastery itself.

Once you pay your tithe and enter the main gate, you should be facing north. Monasteries are laid out on a north/south axis, so if you start at the gate and keep walking straight ahead you're sure to see all the highlights. Inevitably, the first shrine hall you'll encounter will be located at the front of the monastery, facing outward, and devoted to the Maitreya Buddha. Maitreya is a future Buddha, and is usually depicted as a chubby, happy figure - even on Chinese food takeaway cartons and T-shirts found in Western countries.

Behind Maitreya you'll see Wei Tuo Bodhisattva, a rather grim-looking deity, venerated as the protector of Buddhism. This figure faces toward the monastery, and can be recognized by his vajra thunderbolt, an Indian religious symbol that looks like a cross between a royal scepter and an old-fashioned eggbeater.

Following our advice, continue your tour in a straight line to the main shrine hall. In theory, there are an infinite number of Buddhas, but the main shrine hall usually pays homage to the Buddha Sakyamuni, who founded Buddhism some 2,500 years ago. In front and behind the main shrine hall, you'll see a number of smaller shrine halls that are peculiar to the temple's sect, teachings, and characteristics. Here you might find an icon of Guanyin Bodhisattva, usually depicted as a young woman, representing the qualities of mercy and compassion.

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