Baoguang Temple stands in Xindu, about eighteen kilometres north of central Chengdu. Its foundation is traditionally traced back to the Eastern Han, and it has been one of the great monasteries of Sichuan since the Tang dynasty, when it was known as a centre of Buddhist learning. The complex was largely rebuilt in the Qing, and it remains an active monastery with monks in residence.
The Arhat Hall
The reason most visitors come is the Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats, one of the four most celebrated arhat halls in China along with those in Beijing, Kunming and Wuhan. The hall is a large timber building arranged in an unusual cross plan, and it holds five hundred life-sized clay figures of arhats - the enlightened disciples - plus additional figures including Guanyin. Each statue has a different face, posture and expression, some humorous, some fierce, and the rows of them together form one of the most striking interiors in southwest China. A separate hall holds a carved stone sutra pillar.
The pagoda and the halls
Behind the temple gates stands a thirteen-storey brick pagoda dating from the Tang dynasty, which leans visibly to the west and has done so for centuries. Inside the main halls you will find gilded statues, imperial inscriptions, a large collection of Buddhist texts and objects, and the usual succession of courtyards with old trees. The temple also keeps a good vegetarian restaurant, which is popular with visitors from Chengdu.
Practical information
The temple is open daily from early morning to late afternoon with a modest admission fee. It is reached by bus or taxi from central Chengdu in about forty minutes, or by metro to Xindu followed by a short taxi ride. Allow about ninety minutes, plus time for lunch. Modest dress and quiet behaviour are expected, and photography is not permitted inside the arhat hall or the main halls.
Why it is worth the trip
Baoguang is a working monastery with genuine religious life, strong architecture and a collection that rewards close looking, and it sits far enough from the centre to escape the crowds of Wenshu Monastery. It combines well with a visit to Xindu's old town and, in the other direction, with the panda base.
