Jing'an Temple

Lonely Planet review

The Jing'an Temple (Temple of Tranquillity) was originally built in AD 247 but was largely destroyed in 1851. Khi Vehdu, who ran the Jing'an Temple in the 1930s, was one of the most remarkable figures of the time. The nearly 2m-tall abbot had a large following and each of his seven concubines had a house and a car. The temple was shorn of its Buddhist statues in the Cultural Revolution and turned into a plastics factory.

The temple has been undergoing restoration for some years and it is mostly complete. Sadly, the work hasn't helped a place already left stranded on the corner of a very busy traffic intersection.

The temple's drum and bell towers have been well-restored, but anyone familiar with the layout of Buddhist temples will be shocked at the flight of concrete steps in the main courtyard. Underneath the steps is what at first sight appears to be a bomb shelter. In fact, it's the main hall in which is seated a golden statue of the laughing Buddha in a splendid glass cabinet, supported by 18 luóhàn (罗汉; Buddhists who have achieved enlightenment). In the southwest corner is a small wooden model of the hall that will eventually be built in this spot.

Good times to visit include the Festival of Bathing Buddha on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month and at the full moon.