Monastery of Jewel Light

Location: Chengdu

The Jewel Light Monastery (Baoguang Si), located about 15 km north of Chengdu, is home to about 500 Buddhist monks. The name may also be translated as "precious light" or "divine light." The monastery, originally built during the Han Dynasty (A.D. 25 - 220), has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The temple complex was not damaged during the Cultural Revolution; Red Guards were prevented from damaging the monastery by military troops sent by Zhou Enlai in 1967.

The monastery is a complex of temple halls and over a dozen courtyards. The main courtyard is dominated by the towering Sheli Pagoda (right). The pagoda is not plumb; the upper eight levels are set slightly off center and twisted relative to the lower part of the tower. The stonework at the base is ornately carved. The whitewashed walls of each level have small glassed niches that contain small gilded statues of Buddha. In 881, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong fled here from the rebellious troops of Huang Chao from Chang'an. The pagoda is the repository for relics of Buddha that were discovered during his exile in Sichuan.