Bao Guang Monastery / Precious Light Monastery

The word "Boaguang" means Divine Light and the temple acquired the said name when the Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty saw the divine light coming form the bottom part of the temple one night.

Baoguang Monastery built in the Eastern Han Dynasty is a Zen Buddhist monastery of long history, large scale, complete structure and quiet environment and is one of the Four Zen Buddhist Monasteries in the Yangtze River Valley.

Through the gate, the main structures are Shanmen Hall, Tianwang Hall, Dagoba, Seven-Buddha Hall, Da-Xiong-Bao-Dian and Sutra-Preservation Pavilion, etc. which were majestically built in large scale. More than 400 pillars supported the arrangement of one tower, five halls and sixteen courtyards.

The Arhat Hall built in the Qing Dynasty is supported about one hundred stone pillars and its structure is very intricate. The five hundred and seventy-seven statues of Buddha, Arhat and Buddhist founder have different expressions on their faces. All these statues are covered with gold foil, which is rare nationwide.

There is a large and rich cultural relics collection of various kinds and great beauty in Baoguang Monastery, such as the “three treasures of the monastery” - Sariras, Utpala and Pattra - Leaf Scripture, and more than 1,000 works of great masters such as Song Huizong, Tang Bohu, Zhang Daqian, and Xu Beihong. Among these he most famous are Thousand-Buddha Tablet in 540, “Tablet for Merit of Donating Clothes” in Tang Dynasty, Xanadu of Tang Xi Zong, “Hua Yan Sutra” in Yuan Dynasty, “Zun Sheng Tuo Luo Ni” stone pillar of Ming Dynasty, “Da Zang Sutra” of Qing Dynasty, Jade Buddha, stoned sarira pagoda and the three “three treasures of the monastery” - sariras, pattra-leaf scripture and utpala. There are 176 gold plaques, 24 stele embed stones, 76 couplets and 400 ancient artwares and influential calligraphy and painting which foil the ancient cultural atmosphere of Bao Guang Monastery.

Now Baoguang Monastery receives more than two million people of Buddhist circle and visitors both from home and abroad and attracts a large number of worshippers. It has become one of the musts of tourism scenic spots for people visiting Sichuan.