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Chengdu is the capital of the "Heavenly State" -Tian Fu Zhi Guo. Located
in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers
an area of 12.3 thousand square kilometers or 4,749 square miles. It has a population
of over 11 million. Chengdu is a significant center for politics, commerce and
military. Wenshu Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in China and tourist
coming over to Chengdu makes it a point to visit this one.
Wenshu Monastery, Chengdu was formerly known as Xinxiang Temple. During the
reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, there arrived a monk by the name
of Cidu who built a small hut and lived a life of complete renunciation. Legend
holds that at the time of cremation of Cidu, there appeared the statue of Wensu
(Bodhisattva Manjusri in Sanskrit) in the flames and it stayed on for a long
time. After this people started regarding Cidu as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva
Manjusri. Thereafter the Xinxiang Temple was rechristened as Wenshu Monastery.
Wenshu Monastery, Chengdu has a rich culture. The paintings and calligraphies
by celebrities are all preserved here. There are over 500 pieces of such paintings
and calligraphies. The Sutra-Preservation Pavilion houses many famous handwritings,
paintings and artwork. Work of renowned Chinese painters and calligraphers such
as Zhang Daqian, Zheng Banqiao, and Feng Zikai are secured here. There is also
a piece of broken skull of Xuan Zhang a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty. Another
rare antic is the jade Buddha statue brought from Burma to China. By Xing Lin
a Buddhist monk who walked the whole distance. In addition, the monastery houses
some 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, bronze, stone,
wood, and jade, and also some gloriously paintings.
Make it a point to drop into this Monastery if you are coming to Chengdu.
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