The Baoguo Temple (, ) is a former

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple located in the Jiangbei district, north of

Ningbo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...

, in Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. It is noted as the second oldest surviving wooden structure in southern China since the main hall of the present temple dates back to 1013 AD during the

Northern Song dynasty Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

History

The temple was originally called the Lingshan Temple (, ), but in 880 AD, during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

it was renamed the Baoguo Temple. The main hall was rebuilt in 1013 AD, during the

, and is one of the oldest and most well preserved wooden constructions in China. The temple also contains columns dating to the Tang dynasty, a hall built during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

, and two halls and towers of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. Today the temple is no longer a temple but a tourist attraction, and many of its rooms and halls are used to house various exhibitions, including: *

Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. Sh ...

statues *

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

bronzes *

furniture *Traditional Chinese wedding attire *Carved stone screens *Miscellaneous architectural pieces from the temple compound *Famous places around China

Transport

The temple can be accessed by bus 332 from Ningbo city. The ride takes approximately 35 minutes.

External links

Baoguo Temple Official Website

Baoguo Monastery, Architectura Sinica Site Archive
{{Zhejiang topics 11th-century Buddhist temples Buddhist temples in Ningbo Song dynasty architecture Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Zhejiang Timber framed buildings in China

History

Transport

See also

External links