Wenshu Monastery sits in the middle of Chengdu, surrounded by the modern city, and it is one of the few Buddhist monasteries in China with a vegetarian restaurant that is famous in its own right rather than as a curiosity attached to a temple. The kitchen follows the Buddhist rule of no meat, and the monastery's own tradition goes further, avoiding the five pungent vegetables - garlic, onion, leek, chives and coriander - which in a Sichuan kitchen removes a whole layer of the usual seasoning and forces the cook to work with mushrooms, soy, pickles and the fragrance of Sichuan pepper instead.
What the food is like
The result is a cuisine that tastes like Sichuan food with the volume turned differently: less heat, more fermented and dried flavour, and a great deal of texture. Dishes are built on wheat gluten in blocks and threads, on yuba and tofu skin, on fresh and dried mushrooms including shiitake and morels, on bamboo shoots, lotus root and konjac, and on pickled and preserved vegetables. The menu includes cold plates, stir-fries, braises in clay pots, steamed dishes, soups and noodle bowls, and the restaurant is set up for shared, family-style ordering. Mock-meat dishes exist but are not the point, and the best things on the menu are usually the simple vegetable dishes and the mushroom braises.
The temple around it
The monastery itself is a large, active complex with several courtyards, a hall of heavenly kings, a main hall, a hall for the Buddha of the future, a scripture library and a garden with old trees and ponds, plus a teahouse that is popular with local residents. It is one of the few places in the centre of Chengdu where you can sit quietly for an hour with tea and a book, and the surrounding streets have a dense trade in incense, Buddhist goods, prayer beads and vegetarian snacks. Together the temple, the restaurant and the teahouse make a natural half day.
Practical notes
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and fills quickly at conventional mealtimes; arriving a little before the hour or after the peak gets you a table without a queue. Prices are modest and portions are large. The temple charges no admission, though it is a working religious site, so dress modestly and keep noise down in the halls. It is a short walk from a subway station in the city centre, and it combines well with the Jinjiang riverside and with the shopping districts nearby.
