Wenshu Monastery was built in the Sui Dynasty and rebuilt in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, and is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Chengdu, as famous as Daci Temple. Wenshu Monastery is now the seat of the Sichuan Buddhist Association, the national key Buddhist monastery, and the first of the four major Zen forests in the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. As the most well-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Wenshu Monastery has a large scale, magnificent architecture and many precious cultural relics. Wenshu Monastery is not only a Buddhist holy place for religious study, but also a sacred site of Zen forest for worship and sightseeing.
Wenshu Monastery covers an area of more than 20 square meters, and the existing buildings are in the style of the Qing Dynasty in western Sichuan, all of which are wood and stone structures. Wenshu Monastery sits in the north to the south, the Tianwang Palace, the three earth halls, the Daxiong Treasure Palace, the Dharma Hall, the Tibetan scripture building five halls are distributed on the central axis in turn, the two sides are equipped with the bell and drum tower, the meditation hall, the viewing hall, the guest hall, the Buddha hall and the squatter room of each ministry, forming a closed quadrangle structure. The halls and pavilions are simple and magnificent, the buildings are scattered, the forest in the temple is lush, the pavilion nursery is dotted in the meantime, it can be said that the scenery is elegant, the environment is quiet. It is recommended that customers enter through the main entrance to experience the architectural pattern of Wenshu Monastery.
The Tianwang Palace, that is, the mountain gate, is the first hall of Wenshu Monastery, dedicated to Maitreya Bodhisattva and the four heavenly kings. The three major scholars are located behind the Tianwang Palace, and the three major scholars of Guanyin, Manjushri and Fuxian are enshrined in it. The Daxiong Treasure Hall is the third entrance hall of Wenshu Monastery and is the core hall. Nobita is the honorific title of the Buddha, the bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined in the tall glass of the hall, and there are bronze casts of the Buddha and the statue of Ananda Venerable on the left and right, all of which are cast in the ninth year of Daoguang. In addition, there are two Burmese Jade Buddhas in the Mahavira Hall, one of which is said to have been raised by the monks on foot to Myanmar to ask for return, which is quite precious.
The fourth hall is the Dharma Hall, which is said to be the site of the ancient Shinshoji Temple, and is now dedicated to the Medicine Buddha. There is the word "empty forest" inlaid between the middle wall of the ring altar in the hall, which is given by Kangxi, so Wenshu Monastery is also called "empty forest hall". There are a total of 85 statues left over from the past dynasties in the Dharma Hall, including 10 Dharma Protectors, 1 Medicine Buddha, and 12 Yaksha Generals. It is worth mentioning that there are a lot of Buddha statues preserved in the temple, with a total of more than 300 statues, and the cultural relics value and artistic value are quite high. From the perspective of construction technology, including steel casting, yarn removal, wood carving, stone carving, clay sculpture, etc., it is very rich; In terms of age, the Liang Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, and Qing Dynasty have all been unearthed, spanning thousands of years.
The Tibetan Scripture Pavilion, also known as the Chenjing Building, is the fifth entrance hall, has two floors, is the place where the scriptures are stored in the Wenshu Monastery, and is also the storage place where the important cultural relics are most concentrated. The Tibetan Scripture Pavilion enshrines the relics of the Buddha and the parietal bone relics of Master Xuanzang. Relics refer to the body materials left behind by monks after their death, including hair, ashes, etc., Buddha relics and monk relics are very precious holy relics in Buddhism. Therefore, people call this relic "the two saints of the empty forest". There is also a field cloth in the pavilion, also known as the robe of the concubine Tian, a total of 248 statues of Buddha are embroidered, it is made by the concubine Tianfei, the favorite concubine of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty. The scripture building also treasures the calligraphy of Molong in the Song Dynasty, the calligraphy of the broken mountain and Zhang Xue in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the paintings of Blue Eyes and Bamboo Zen, as well as the calligraphy and painting works of calligraphers He Shaoji, Zheng Banqiao, Zhang Daqian, Feng Zikai and others.
In addition, Wenshu Monastery has also unearthed the Tang Dynasty Japanese gilt scriptures, a thousand Buddha robes, hair embroidery Guanyin, tongue Hua Hanbao, yarn Manjushri and tongue blood treasure and other Buddhist cultural relics, part of the transfer to the Sichuan Provincial Museum, the treasures hidden in the courtyard are not all exhibited. Wenshu Monastery and Daci Temple are both important Buddhist temples, but the historical buildings of Daci Temple are seriously damaged, and there are very few cultural relics, which are far lower than the well-preserved Wenshu Monastery in terms of sightseeing value. Therefore, the number of visitors to Wenshu Monastery is higher, and the bustling crowd will undoubtedly affect the original quiet and solemn atmosphere of the ancient temple, so it is recommended that tourists visit early in the morning or avoid the peak tourist season.
In addition to paying homage to the Buddha, believers and tourists can also pray for blessings and wishes at the pagoda, around the pagoda and at the lampstand. Wenshu Monastery also has a Buddhist psychological counseling center for free counseling for people who are troubled. It should be reminded that outside the Wenshu Monastery, there are scammers who falsely claim to be the incarnation of the Buddha and sell items such as red cloth to tourists.
Even travelers who don't know much about Chengdu teahouses can feel the popularity of teahouses, which can be seen in popular attractions such as Qingyang Palace, Daci Temple, Dujiangyan, and Kuanzhai Alley. The incense garden next to Wenshu Monastery is no exception, and visitors can also drink a cup of Chengdu's unique gaiwan tea and take a break while visiting the temple. There are many restaurants outside Wenshu Monastery, including many well-known restaurants, and visitors can stop by to taste Chengdu's special food.
Suggested visiting time: half a day
Admission: Free
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
Tips: 1. It is forbidden to bring flammable, explosive and corrosive materials and controlled knives into the country;2. It is forbidden to bring meat and food, wear and expose it; 3. Do not make loud noises; 4. The Administration prohibits photography of Buddha statues.
Address: No. 66, Wenshuyuan Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
