The Baoguo Temple (, ) is a former

Mahayana Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

temple located in the Jiangbei district, north of

Ningbo Ningbo is a sub-provincial city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises six urban districts, two satellite county-level cities, and two rural counties, including several islands in Hangzhou Bay and the Eas ...

, 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 The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

History

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

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

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 of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, and two halls and towers of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. 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 common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

statues *

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...

bronzes *

furniture *Traditional

Chinese wedding Traditional Chinese marriage () is a ceremonial ritual within Chinese societies that involves not only a union between spouses but also a union between the two families of a man and a woman, sometimes established by pre-arrangement between famili ...

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