Wenshu Monastery

Background

Wenshu Monastery stands on Wenshuyuan Street in central Chengdu. According to the monastery's records, it is said to have been founded in the Daye era of the Sui dynasty, originally named Xinxiang Temple; in the late Tang and Five Dynasties it was called Miaoyuan Pagoda Temple, in the Song dynasty it reverted to the name Xinxiang Temple, and in the late Ming it was destroyed in war. In the 20th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty (1681), the Chan master Cidu built a hut among the ruins to meditate; in the 36th year of Kangxi (1697), officials and the public raised funds to build a monastery on the old site and renamed it Wenshu Monastery; in the 41st year of Kangxi (1702), the emperor bestowed a plaque reading "Konglin," so it is also known as Konglin Hall. Most of the surviving halls are Qing-dynasty timber structures; along the central axis stand the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Three Great Bodhisattvas, the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma Hall and the Sutra Library, and the Manjushri Pavilion at the far end was completed in 1999. In 1983 the State Council designated it a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese areas.

Local customs

• Wenshu Monastery remains an active monastery with a busy flow of worshippers, especially early in the morning and on ceremony days. Inside there is vegetarian food and a tea garden, and many Chengdu residents come here to drink gaiwan tea and eat vegetarian meals. Outside, Wenshufang is a newly built neighborhood in traditional style, lined with shops and snack stalls
• the atmosphere inside and outside the monastery is very different, so please slow down and lower your voice once you pass through the mountain gate.

Religion & beliefs

• Wenshu Monastery is a Chinese Buddhist monastery, and its main halls are used according to Buddhist rites. Please remove your hat when entering a hall, don't wear overly revealing clothing, and don't step on the center of the threshold
• offer incense only at the designated spots as the monastery directs and don't bring large incense of your own
• don't walk through the procession of chanting monks during ceremonies, and photographing the statues inside the halls is usually not appropriate
• follow the signs on site.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Allow 1–2 hours, or half a day if you add tea and a vegetarian meal. Wenshu Monastery is beside Renmin Middle Road in central Chengdu, a short walk from Wenshu Monastery metro station, and a short taxi ride from the Tianfu Square area. Opening hours, whether fees are charged and Dharma assembly schedules are as posted at the monastery
• crowds are large on major Buddhist festivals, so for a quiet visit choose a weekday morning. You can combine it with Daci Temple, Kuanzhai Alley or People's Park for a half-day to full-day walk in the city center. Prepare appropriate clothing before entering the temple
• in summer carry a light jacket to cover your shoulders
• the hours of the temple's tea garden and vegetarian restaurant are as shown on-site. The Wenshufang district has many shops, so compare prices yourself when shopping, and ignore incense sellers touting before you enter the temple.