Chengdu | Visit Wenshu Monastery to experience the serene Zen aesthetics

Wenshu Monastery was originally built during the Daye years of the Sui Dynasty, initially named Xinxing Temple, which is said to have been built by the favored concubine of Yang Xiu, the Prince of Shu during the Sui Dynasty, for the Buddhist nun Xinxing. It was renamed Miaoyuan Pagoda Temple during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. It was reverted to Xinxing Temple in the Song Dynasty. Destroyed by war at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the buildings were all burnt down, leaving only 10 iron-cast guardian statues and 2 ancient fir trees that are over a thousand years old. In the 20th year of Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1681), Zen Master Cidu came to the ruins to build a hut and meditate. The villagers around saw the great light emitted from Zen Master Cidu's meditation spot at night and were amazed, proclaiming him to be an incarnation of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Since then, Zen Master Cidu traveled around, gaining widespread fame; Emperor Kangxi admired his reputation and summoned him to Beijing three times to meet in person, but he politely refused each time. In the 36th year of Kangxi's reign (1697), officials and civilians raised funds to build a monastery on the old site of Xinxing Temple, naming it Wenshu Monastery. In the 41st year of Kangxi's reign (1702), Emperor Kangxi bestowed the plaque 'Konglin', which is why Wenshu Monastery is also known as Konglin Hall. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods, the abbot Benyuan Fashi presided over the expansion of Wenshu Monastery. Location: No. 66, Wenshuyuan Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province (400 meters walk from Exit K of Wenshuyuan Metro Station) Opening hours: 8:00-17:00, no appointment needed, free admission, just queue up to enter (everyone can get a free incense stick upon entry) Bus: Take bus routes 16, 55, or 98 in the city and get off at 'Wanfu Bridge' stop. Metro: Take Line 1 to 'Wenshuyuan Station', exit from Exit K, and walk 300 meters to reach the destination. 📸 Photo Spots On one side of Wenshu Square, there's a wall with blue tiles and red bricks that reads 'World Peace, Human Happiness', with golden characters full of Zen charm, and there are three very cute stone pillar statues. Wearing traditional Hanfu here really makes for great photos Moving forward, you will come to the yellow wall of Wenshu Monastery's gate, which represents auspicious brightness, with a couplet written on it: 'Rui Ze deep as heaven and earth, Zong Feng surpassing ancient and present' The ginkgo ancient tree at the entrance of the Konglin Buddhist Lecture Hall complements the grand and simple wooden structure, especially during autumn and winter, the whole scene is a high-class black and gold tone, which is more suitable for wide-angle lens to capture the big scene The ginkgo tree at Wenshu Pavilion is unparalleled in Chengdu, surrounded by several hundred-year-old ancient ginkgo trees. It's worth sitting here and waiting for a sunset glow Brew a pot of tea, find a corner by the window in the Fragrance Garden of Wenshu Monastery, and sketch the scriptures with the tip of a pen. The Zen vibe is really strong, perfect for taking atmospheric photos