Most Chinese believe in Buddhism so instead of Church or synagogues there are lots of monasteries in Urban Chengdu. It’s a good choice for you to enjoy a tour to the ancient Buddhist monasteries when you are doing internship in Chengdu and it would be a rewarding experience for you to know more about local history and the life styles of common people.
The differences between a Buddhist temple and a western church are Hugh, for example, It’s common to see several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed while that’s may seem really weird to foreign interns because of the different religious believes.
But where can you find the most distinctive Buddhist temples in the city?
No.1 Wenshu Monastery
Many our interns would prefer Wenshu Monastery as it’s the largest well-preserved Buddhist temple in downtown Chengdu. It was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and is dedicated to Wenshu (Manjushri, the god of wisdom).
The monastery covers an area of over 20,000 sq. and has magnificent old constructions with more than 190rooms.
The newly built 11-storey Peace Pagoda of A Thousand Buddhas is 22 meters tall.
The monastery also has a large teahouse and an excellent vegetarian restaurant.
(Address: No.66 Wenshu Street (Wenshu Yuanjie), Qingyang District)
No.2 Daci Monastery
Adjacent to the Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu (a fashionable shopping center), Daci Monastery is a tranquil place in the bustling downtown Chengdu. Once the largest Buddhist monastery in Sichuan, the temple was first built in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and experienced reconstruction many times, and the present constructions were mainly built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The monastery was the site where Xuan Zang, an eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty, was ordained into monkhood.
(Address: No.23 Dacisi Road, Jinjiang District)
No.3 Zhaojue Monastery
Known in history as the First Buddhist Congregation in western Sichuan, Zhaojue Monastery (Enlightenment Monastery) was initially built in the early Tang Dynasty and it played an important role in helping the spread of Buddhism in China, and is regarded by many Buddhists in Asian countries as the ancestral site of Buddhist temples in their own countries.
(Address: #333 Zhaoqing Road, Chenghua District)
All of this temples are an easy bus or subway ride from anywhere in the city and you can get to them easily in a weekend or a day off from your internship, If you are an intern in Chengdu, make some plans now to visit some of most attractive monasteries !
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