ding vessel from the Zhangwu era (220s);
* a Tang dynasty ceramic stupa;
* a copy of the
Flower Adornment Sutra
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
(Avatamsaka Sutra) dated back to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), with gold and silver pigments.
Temple
The temple was first built during the Tang dynasty. It was burnt down during the Ming dynasty; and rebuilt after the
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...
(1654-1722) reign in Qing dynasty. On August 16, 1956, the temple was listed as one of the first group of Sichuan Historical and Revolution Culture Heritage Conservation unit. On July 7, 1980, it was re-listed as one of Sichuan's Cultural Heritage Conservation Unit. On June 25, 2001, it was listed as a major National Cultural Heritage Conservation Unit.
The temples has a number of halls, including the
Qing
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-speak ...
-era Arhat Hall (), containing 500 two-meter-high clay figurines of
arhats
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
, as well as statues of
Ksitigarbha,
Samantabhadra,
Manjusri
Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārab ...
, the Thousand-armed
Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
and the Wisdom King
Mahamayuri
Mahamayuri ( sa, महामायूरी ("great peacock"), ''Kǒngquè Míngwáng'', vi, Khổng Tước Minh Vương, ja, 孔雀明王, ''Kujaku Myōō'', ko, 공작명왕 ''Gongjak Myeongwang''), or Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī is a b ...
. The temple also houses numerous treasures, including white jade
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
from
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and a stone tablet engraved with 1000 Buddhist figures.
[Harper (2007), 765.]
Pagoda
The
Sharira Stupa (), the temple's pagoda, is the only part of the temple that still dates from the Tang dynasty. It was built between 862 and 888. It is square, has thirteen floors, and is 30 meters tall. The inside of the pagoda is solid, so one cannot go inside. The first floor of the pagoda is quite tall compared to the upper floors. The upper floors all feature upturned eaves, with copper bells hanging from them. The top of the pagoda is gold-plated, and each of the four sides of every floor has an image of the Buddha inlaid in gold.
[Xu (2007), 95.]
Shortly after the pagoda's construction in the Tang dynasty, the upper part of the pagoda partially collapsed. During the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
, the upper part of the pagoda was restored, but the seventh floor and those above were built tilted slightly towards the west, not according to the pagodas original proportions. As a result, the pagoda has a noticeable tilt.
See also
*
List of leaning towers#China
Notes
References
*Harper, Damian ed. ''China''. London: Lonely Planet, 2007.
*Xu Xiaoying, ed. ''Zhongguo Guta Zaoxing''. Beijing: Chinese Forest Press, 2007.
External links
Official Site
{{coord missing, Sichuan
Buddhist temples in Sichuan
Pagodas in China
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Sichuan
Tourist attractions in Chengdu