Wenshu Monastery, formerly named Xinxiang Temple, is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It was initially built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In 1681, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an accomplished Buddhist monk, called Cidu, came to the monastery. There he built a simple hut between two trees and lived an ascetic life for several years. Legend is that when Cidu was being cremated, the statue of Wenshu Bodhisattva appeared in the flames, remaining for a long time. Therefore Cidu was regarded as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Wenshu. The Xinxiang Temple was thus renamed Wenshu Monastery.
Facing south and north, Wenshu Monastery of the construction area of 11,600 square meters is a typical Qing Dynasty style construction. It has five halls including Tianwang Hall, Sandatu Hall, Daxiongbao Hall, Shuofa (sermon in Chinese) and Cangjing (preserve Buddhist sutra) Pavilion. There is also a triple-eave bell tower in the temple, which has a big copper bell weighing 4,500 kilograms and a Kwan-yin statue made of bronze, amongst other elaborate works of sculpture. With beautiful scenery, the yards and gardens melt with each other, making the monastery quiet and elegant.
Wenshu Monastery also exhibits many precious cultural relics and treasures. There are 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, mud, stone, wood, and jade dating from the Liang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, many precious ancient paintings and calligraphies are stored in the temple, of which the most famous is the writing Kong Lin , obliged to and written by emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. Other treasures include Buddhism relics, like the Indian Beiye sutra, brought from India by Mingkuan Rahhi in 1887; the broken skull of Xuanzang, a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty; a thousand-Buddha cassock, embroidered by a imperial concubine in Ming Dynasty; as well as a hair embroidery Kwan-yin, made by a beautiful lady using her own hair.
Facing south and north, Wenshu Monastery of the construction area of 11,600 square meters is a typical Qing Dynasty style construction. It has five halls including Tianwang Hall, Sandatu Hall, Daxiongbao Hall, Shuofa (sermon in Chinese) and Cangjing (preserve Buddhist sutra) Pavilion. There is also a triple-eave bell tower in the temple, which has a big copper bell weighing 4,500 kilograms and a Kwan-yin statue made of bronze, amongst other elaborate works of sculpture. With beautiful scenery, the yards and gardens melt with each other, making the monastery quiet and elegant.
Wenshu Monastery also exhibits many precious cultural relics and treasures. There are 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, mud, stone, wood, and jade dating from the Liang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, many precious ancient paintings and calligraphies are stored in the temple, of which the most famous is the writing Kong Lin , obliged to and written by emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. Other treasures include Buddhism relics, like the Indian Beiye sutra, brought from India by Mingkuan Rahhi in 1887; the broken skull of Xuanzang, a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty; a thousand-Buddha cassock, embroidered by a imperial concubine in Ming Dynasty; as well as a hair embroidery Kwan-yin, made by a beautiful lady using her own hair.