Zhaojue Temple, Buddhist temple in Chenghua District, Chengdu, China
Zhaojue Temple is a Buddhist temple in Chenghua District, Chengdu, whose present buildings were completed from 1984 onward. Its Mahavira Hall enshrines the Three-Body Buddha — Vairocana, Rocana and Sakyamuni — flanked by statues of the disciples Kassapa and Ananda, with the Eighteen Arhats standing along both sides of the hall. The grounds also hold a shanmen, an octagonal pavilion, a bell tower and drum tower, a Buddhist Texts Library and a Five Contemplations Dining Hall.
The site began in the 7th century, during the Zhenguan period of the Tang dynasty, as Jianyuan Temple, built on the former residence of Dong Chang, a Meizhou official of the Han. In 877, under Emperor Xizong, the Chan master Xiumeng became abbot and the temple was renamed Zhaojue; he enlarged it considerably. Wars during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period damaged it badly, and in 1008 the master Yanmei began a restoration that lasted 30 years and produced over 300 halls and buildings.
The temple's name changed from Jianyuan to Zhaojue in 877, when Chan master Xiumeng became abbot and enlarged the site. Master Yuanwu Keqin, a Chan figure, served two terms as abbot and died here. The calligrapher Yan Kai wrote the plaque "Ying Shi Ren Jian", given to the temple after Zhu De sheltered here in 1917.
Zhaojue Temple stands in Qinglong Subdistrict, Chenghua District, in northeastern Chengdu. The grounds hold the Mahavira Hall, the Yuanjue Hall, the Octagonal Pavilion, the Buddhist Texts Library and the Five Contemplations Dining Hall, so allow time to walk between them. The temple is an active religious site: keep voices low and dress modestly.
The temple keeps calligraphy by Zhang Daqian, who lived there for four years studying painting; many of his works remain in the monastery. A plaque reading "Ying Shi Ren Jian" was written by Yan Kai and sent by Zhu De after the temple sheltered him in 1917.
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