Buddhist Monastery sights in Sìchuān
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Elephant Bathing Pool
According to legend, Elephant Bathing Pool is where Pǔxián flew his elephant in for a big scrub, but today there's not much of a pool to speak of. Being almost at the crossroads of both major trails, the temple here is often crowded with pilgrims.
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Xiānfēng Temple
Somewhat off the beaten track, this well-looked-after monastery is backed by rugged cliffs and surrounded by fantastic scenery.
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Wànnián Temple
Reconstructed in the 9th century, Wànnián Temple is the oldest surviving Éméi temple. It's dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the Bodhisattva Pǔxián (also known as Samantabhadra), the Buddhist Lord of Truth and protector of the mountain. This 8.5m-high statue cast in copper and bronze dates from AD 980 and weighs an estimated 62,000kg. If you can manage to rub the elephant's hind leg, good luck will be cast upon you. The statue is housed in Brick Hall, a domed building with small stupas on it and the only building left unharmed in a 1945 fire.
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Fúhǔ Temple
Located about 1km from Bàoguó Temple, Fúhǔ Temple is hidden deep within the forest. It houses a 7m-high copper pagoda inscribed with Buddhist images and texts.
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Bàoguó Temple
Constructed in the 16th century, this temple features beautiful gardens of rare plants, as well as a 3.5m-high porcelain Buddha dating back to 1415, which is housed near the Sutra Library.
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Bakong Scripture Printing Press & Monastery
This striking 18th-century monastery houses one of western Sìchuān's star attractions: a fascinating printing press that still uses traditional woodblock printing methods and which houses an astonishing 70% of Tibet's literary heritage.
There are more than 217,000 engraved blocks of Tibetan scriptures here from all the Tibetan Buddhist orders, including Bön. These texts include ancient works about astronomy, geography, music, medicine and Buddhist classics, including two of the most important Tibetan sutras. A history of Indian Buddhism comprising 555 woodblock plates is the only surviving copy in the world (written in Hindi, Sanskrit and Tibetan).
Within the monastery, …
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