Baoguo Temple in Suzhou, originally known as ‘Baoguo Chan Yuan’, was first established during the Xianxun period of the Song Dynasty, located to the west of the Confucian Temple.
In the 22nd year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Zhiyuan era, the temple was donated and rebuilt by the Lake Dao Su Zheng Lian Fang Shi, with Puzhao as the abbot, leading to a prosperous Zen culture at the time. During the early Ming Dynasty, the Chan Yuan was merged with Kaiyuan Temple. Later, in the Jingtai-Tianshun period, a monk named Zhixue petitioned the court to change the Chan Yuan into a temple, thus forming a Buddhist forest. In the Chenghua period, the resident monk Chengzhao greatly expanded the scale of the temple, constructing hundreds of halls, guest rooms, dining halls, and storerooms, covering an area of 47 acres, and becoming a major temple. Baoguo Temple is situated in a tranquil area amidst the bustling city, neighboring the famous Yi Garden to the north, the Twin Pagodas to the east, and the Canglang Pavilion to the south, embodying the essence of finding tranquility amidst chaos and seeking Zen in stillness. The temple now houses the Suzhou Buddhist Museum, Suzhou Honghua Society, Suzhou Buddhist Honghua Art Institute, and Suzhou Honghua Society Free Clinic, among other Buddhist cultural and charitable organizations. The temple is open from January 1st to December 31st, from 09:00 to 17:00.
