Daci Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese pro ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

History

Wei and Jin dynasties

The original temple dates back to the 3rd century. According to ''Wu Deng Hui Yuan'' (), in the Wei and Jin dynasties, Indian Buddhist monk Baozhang () came to

to worship Samantabhadra and lived in Da'ci Temple.

Tang dynasty

In 622, during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

(618–907),

Xuanzang Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...

(602–664) received full ordination at Daci Temple. In 756,

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion. An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lush ...

(703–757) seized the capital city

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin S ...

, Emperor Xuanzong (685–762) was evacuated to Chengdu. When he saw monks of Daci Temple giving food to the poor in the street, he was deeply moved and inscribed and honored the name "Dashengci Temple". Emperor Xuanzong issued the decree to rebuild the temple. Master Wuxiang (), a prince of

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...

, supervised the reconstruction of the temple. In 822, Master Zhixuan () settled at the temple to deliver Buddhist precepts there, and attracted large numbers of practitioners. Emperor Wuzong of Tang (814–846) ordered to demolish Buddhist temples, confiscate temple lands and force monks to return to secular life. Because the temple had the handwriting of the former Emperor Xuanzong, it was exceptionally retained and became the only Buddhist temple in the area.

Song dynasty

In the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), Lanxi Daolong (1213–1278) received ordination as a monk at the temple. In 1246, he took his disciples to Japan, and founded the

Kenchō-ji Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is a Rinzai Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the ...

sect in Japan.

Ming dynasty

In 1435, in the 10th year of Xuande period (1399–1435) in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

(1368–1644), a disastrous fire destroyed most of the buildings.

Qing dynasty

Daci Temple was reconstructed during the Shunzhi era (1368–1661) of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

(1644–1911). It was renovated and refurbished in 1867, during the reign of

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Zaichun of the Aisin Gioro clan, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, from 1861 to 1875, which effectively laste ...

(1856–1875).

People's Republic of China

After the

3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China The 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was a pivotal meeting of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing, China, from December 18 to December 22, 1978. The conference m ...

, the policy of religious freedom was implemented. Daci Temple was classified as a municipal-level cultural heritage in Chengdu. It was used as a location for

Chengdu Museum Chengdu Museum ( zh, 成都博物馆, aka Chengdu Museum New Hall from 2016) is a large city museum in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The museum is located on the west side of Tianfu Square, close to the Jincheng Art Palace, Sichuan Art Museum, Sichuan ...

, which opened in 1984. At the end of 2003, Daci Temple was restored and was officially opened to the public on April 8 of the following year. On June 25, 2005, monk Da'en () was proposed as the new abbot of the temple. The low-rise Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu complex which opened in April 2015 was built surrounding the temple in keeping with traditional Sichuan architecture.TWO CHINA PROJECTS WIN TOP AWARDS AT ULI EVENT
7 October 2015. ''mingtiandi.com''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daci Temple Buddhist temples in Chengdu Tourist attractions in Chengdu 19th-century establishments in China 19th-century Buddhist temples Religious buildings and structures completed in 1867