Xīndū

Xindu lies north of Chengdu on the fertile plain of western Sichuan. Its Baoguang Temple is a major Buddhist monastery, with halls and a pagoda set among courtyards. Tradition recalls the Tang emperor Xizong taking refuge here during the Huang Chao rebellion and ordering the temple and its pagoda repaired. The monastery preserves inscriptions, scriptures and images from many periods. After the destruction and disorder of the late Ming, the Chan monk Xiaozong Yinmi began rebuilding Baoguang Temple in 1670. Work continued under the Qing, restoring a religious centre that drew monks and worshippers from the surrounding country.