Located in the district of Xindu, 18km north of Chengdu the Baoguang Temple was built during the Tang dynasty. The temple boasts of several halls. The Qing- era Arhat Hall contains two impressive 500 meter figurine of Arhats.
The temple has been refurbished several times, and the only remaining part that belongs to the grandeur of the Tang dynasty is the Temple’s Pagoda. 30 meters tall the pagoda has thirteen floors and is square in shape. In comparison to the upper floors, the first floor is tall. The top is gold plated with an image of Buddha dressing each of the four sides of every floor. Although the structure dates backs to the Tang dynasty, the upper part has been restored during the Ming dynasty. You would note the queer shape it takes due to not been restored in original proportions. The Pagoda noticeably tilts to the west.
The ancient structure is known to be the resting place of numerous treasures, such as a stone tablet engraved with 1000 Buddhist figures and a white Jade Buddha brought from Burma. There are other Buddhist cultural heritage sites such as Huayan Scripture printed on golf papers, a bronze vessel, the stele of Thousand Buddha and the stele of Merit and Virtue along with 400 paintings belonging to varying times. The word ‘Baoguang’ means ‘Divine light’ and is derived from an interesting story that describes how the temple was found.
If you are looking out for accommodation in Chengdu that allows you to discover this ancient city at your own pace, taking in the natural splendor of the atmosphere and the magical old world feeling , there are several Chengdu apartments that provide comfortable options within the city. The Somerset Riverview Chengdu is one such apartment that puts you within easy reach of many of the cities’ attractions and splendid tourist hotspots. These apartments provide a beautiful resting place equipped with all state of the art amenities.
Along with other beautiful ancient monuments the historic town of Xindu will never seize to please you with its old world charm and the history that is weaved around this splendid eastern city. It feels like its straight out of an ancient Chinese tale!
