Baocheng Temple is nestled at the southeastern foot of Wu Mountain, originally built by Princess Yang of the Wu Yue Kingdom and named Shijia Yuan. During the Dazhong Xiangxiang period of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was renamed Baocheng Yuan. Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, visited Baocheng Yuan during his first tenure as a judicial commissioner in Hangzhou, during the Xinning period of the Northern Song Dynasty, and composed the poem ‘Enjoying Peonies at Baocheng Yuan’. In the fifth year of the Baoyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1257), it was granted the name ‘Baocheng Temple’. The temple is home to the Mahagala sculpture, which features simple and bold carving techniques and exaggerated artistic expressions, making it the only commemorated Mahagala statue in China. Mahagala is a transliteration of the Tibetan Buddhist ‘Vairocana’. In July 2001, the Mahagala statue at Baocheng Temple was designated as a fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection unit due to its unique status in the history of religious history and religious art. The temple is open all year round from 08:00 to 16:00.
Wu Mountain Scenic Area – Baocheng Zen Temple
Baocheng Temple is nestled at the southeastern foot of Wu Mountain, originally built by Princess Yang of the Wu Yue […]
