Baolun Temple stands at the upper end of Ciqikou, the old town on the bluff above the Jialing river in the north-west of Chongqing, and it is the oldest structure in the quarter. The temple is traditionally said to have been founded in the Tang dynasty, and it was certainly established by the Song; it has been rebuilt repeatedly, most recently in the modern period, and the present halls are Ming and Qing work with later restoration. Because Ciqikou is visited for its streets and snacks, the temple at the top of the hill is often missed, which makes it unusually calm for a site in the middle of a busy district.
The temple
The complex climbs the slope in a series of courtyards, with a gate hall, a hall of heavenly kings, a main hall holding a seated Buddha, and a rear hall, connected by steps and terraces and shaded by old trees. The construction is timber on stone plinths, with painted beams, carved brackets and tiled roofs, and there are steles, incense burners and a bell in the courtyards. It remains an active temple, with monks in residence and regular services, and there is a vegetarian restaurant attached. The upper terrace looks out over the roofs of the old town and down towards the river, which is the best view in the district.
Ciqikou around it
The old town below the temple is a single steep street of stone steps running from the river up to the bluff, lined with timber shopfronts and now given over largely to food: twisted dough, rice cakes, tofu, pickles, noodles and sweets, sold from open kitchens. Behind the main street the lanes are narrower and quieter, with courtyard houses, a small theatre, and several other religious buildings including a second temple and a former guild hall. The whole quarter is a fraction of what it was before the twentieth century, but the fragments that remain are genuinely old.
Practical notes
The temple charges a small admission and keeps day-time hours; the old town streets are free and open until late, and are extremely crowded at weekends and on public holidays, when the lanes are almost impassable. A weekday morning is the only comfortable time to see either the temple or the streets. The site is reached by subway and then a short walk or bus, and the climb from the river involves a good number of steps. Combine the temple with the old town at dusk, when the lanterns are lit and the crowds have thinned.
