Baoguang Monastery

Name in Chinese: 宝光寺 [bǎo guāng sì]

Location: Xindu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Duration of Tour: 2.5 Hours

Opening Hours: 08:00 a.m.- 05:00 p.m.

Highlights: Home to China’s Biggest Existing Arhat Hall

    Baoguang Monastery, which is situated at SW China’s Sichuan province about 25km (16 mi) from its capital city Chengdu, is a Zen Buddhist Temple known for its time-honored Buddhist culture and solemn architectures.

    First completed in the 6th century, this Sui-dynasty Buddhist temple has seen many ups and downs over the centuries, and it was not until the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1661-1722) that its last reconstruction was done, which laid the foundation of the temple’s present-day layout and scale.

    Measuring 2 ha, Baoguang monastery complex layout is dominated by a central north-south axis, along which its main buildings - including the Mountain Gate, the Heavenly God Hall, the Baoguang Pagoda, the Grand Hall of Seven Buddhas and the Sutra Depository -are situated, flanked on both sides by other auxiliary buildings arranged in perfect symmetry.

    The monastery’s main claim to fame are the Sharira Stupa and the  Arhat Hall.  

    Erected between 862 and 888, the Sharira Stupa is the only cultural relic from the Tang Dynasty preserved in the monastery. It is a 20-meter-tall pagoda with 13 stories, and three Buddha statues are inlaid into each of its four sides on each level. What makes the pagoda stand out is its noticeable tilt. This distinctive feature originated during its renovation in the Ming Dynasty, when the structure above the 7th floor was tilted slightly westward.

    The hall of Arhat in Baoguang Monastery is spacious with a hip-and-gable roof. And it ranks first nationwide for its Arhat collections, with as many as 500 two-meter-high clay figurines of Arhats. An Arhat is a spiritual practitioner in Buddhism who has achieved Nirvana and liberation by eradicating impurities and extinguish desires. And becoming an Arhat is considered the final stage of the four stages of the supramundane path. The number of Arhats in a Buddhist temple varies depending on the temple’s size and tradition. The most common groupings are 16 and 18 Arhats while in large and prestigious monastery, a special ‘Hall of Arhat’ is dedicated to enshrining a much larger group of 500 Arhats, representing the large assembly of enlightened beings who gathered to compile the Buddhist scriptures after the Buddha’s death.

    As a treasure trove of Buddhist culture, Baoguang Monastery houses a wealth of Buddhist relics of great significance. Notable among these are a Liang dynasty (502-587) jade Buddha and a copy of the Flower Adornment Sutra (Avatamsaka Sutra) dated back to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), with gold and silver pigments.

    With its serene surroundings and rich Buddhist legacy, the Baoguang Monastery offers a haven both for individuals interested in Buddhism and for those seeing tranquility. In the close proximity to the monastery, there is a park well worth a visit, which is celebrated for its enchanting garden view. Combined, they make for an excellent one-day side trip getaway from Chengdu.

    How to get to Baoguang Monastery

    Baoguang Monastery is about 25km (16 mi) from its capital city Chengdu with a travel time of 1 hour. Tourists can fly to Chengdu from most of major cities within Mainland China. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) is one of two airports serving Chengdu, which now mainly serves domestic flights around China. The other one is Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU), which also operates domestic flights and took over all international routes from Shuangliu International Airport. Currently, there are 30 international routes to most of major cities abroad, such as, Hongkong, Moscow, Taibei, Seoul, Phuket, Istanbul, Sydney, Cairo, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Osaka, Hanoi, Singapore, Tashkent, Kuala Lumpur, Nha Trang, Toronto, Vancouver, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Paris, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is located 18 km (11 mi) south of the city center, the journey from the airport to the city center takes about 35min while Tianfu International Airport is 65 kilometers (40 mi) southeast of the city center, taking about one hour.

    As the major rail hub in southwest China, Chengdu possesses an extensive rail network, operating around 250 high-speed trains on a daily basis. It well connects to over 100 cities nationwide, making it super convenient to reach Chengdu from other popular tourist destinations, such as Xi’an, Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Lanzhou, Hongkong, etc.