Baoguang Temple, located at Baoguang Street in Chengdu s Xindu District, covers an area of 100,000 square meters, and is a Zen Buddhist Monastery with a long history and housing numerous cultural treasures. The temple was founded as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), and gained a great reputation during the Kaiyuan Years of the Tang Dynasty (713-741 AD).
Baoguang Temple is now is composed of one pagoda, six halls and sixteen courtyards. It is the only temple still to preserve the traditional temple layout- incorporating the pagoda, with the pagoda as the centre . The pagoda, constructed in the Tang Dynasty, is a close-eaves square brick pagoda with 13 stages, standing30 meters high. The Arhats Hall was constructed in 1851, with 59 Buddhas, Bodhisattva and founders, 518 arhats- each 2 meters high- graceful sculptures, color drawings, and full of humor and wit. This clay arhat hall is the largest, oldest and most renowned of its kind in China.
There are numerous cultural relics in Baoguang Temple. Among them, the most famous are Thousand-Buddha Tablet constructed in 540 AD, Tablet showing the Merit of Donating Clothes , constructed in the Tang Dynasty, Hua Yan Sutra constructed in the Yuan Dynasty, Da Zang Sutra constructed in the Qing dynasty, Jade Buddha, stoned sarira pagoda and the three three treasures of the monastery -sariras, pattra-leaf scripture and utpala. The temple has 176 gold plaques, 24 steles embedded stones, 76 couplets, 400 ancient artworks and influential calligraphy and paintings, all of which contribute to the ancient cultural atmosphere of Baoguang Temple.
Baoguang Temple is now is composed of one pagoda, six halls and sixteen courtyards. It is the only temple still to preserve the traditional temple layout- incorporating the pagoda, with the pagoda as the centre . The pagoda, constructed in the Tang Dynasty, is a close-eaves square brick pagoda with 13 stages, standing30 meters high. The Arhats Hall was constructed in 1851, with 59 Buddhas, Bodhisattva and founders, 518 arhats- each 2 meters high- graceful sculptures, color drawings, and full of humor and wit. This clay arhat hall is the largest, oldest and most renowned of its kind in China.
There are numerous cultural relics in Baoguang Temple. Among them, the most famous are Thousand-Buddha Tablet constructed in 540 AD, Tablet showing the Merit of Donating Clothes , constructed in the Tang Dynasty, Hua Yan Sutra constructed in the Yuan Dynasty, Da Zang Sutra constructed in the Qing dynasty, Jade Buddha, stoned sarira pagoda and the three three treasures of the monastery -sariras, pattra-leaf scripture and utpala. The temple has 176 gold plaques, 24 steles embedded stones, 76 couplets, 400 ancient artworks and influential calligraphy and paintings, all of which contribute to the ancient cultural atmosphere of Baoguang Temple.