Guanyin Temple, Xinjin 新津观音寺

About Guanyin Temple, Xinjin

Pilu Hall’s murals use rich mineral colours and detailed figures, while Guanyin Hall is known for its sculptural programme. The surviving works deserve a slow look rather than a quick temple circuit. Access to individual halls can change during conservation: recent visitor accounts report work at Guanyin Hall, so confirm the actual open sections before making a special trip.

The temple was built in 1181, during the Song dynasty, and was destroyed by warfare at the end of the Yuan dynasty. It was rebuilt during the Ming Xuande era and repaired repeatedly during the Qing Kangxi, Qianlong and Daoguang eras, before being destroyed again during the Xianfeng era, when only Pilu Hall (毗卢殿) and Guanyin Hall (观音殿) survived. The temple was rebuilt again during the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras, fell into disrepair during the Republic period, and was further damaged during the Cultural Revolution.

The surviving complex combines the Ming-dynasty Pilu Hall and Guanyin Hall with a Qing-dynasty mountain gate, Maitreya Hall and Jieyin Hall, covering a total building area of 1,180 square metres. Pilu Hall, built in 1462, is a single-eave, hip-and-gable-roofed structure three bays wide and 10.72 metres across, containing seven finely detailed polychrome murals painted in 1468. Guanyin Hall, also built in 1468, is a single-eave, hip-and-gable-roofed structure five bays wide and holds an elaborate group of Buddhist and arhat statues.

The temple was designated a Sichuan historical and revolutionary cultural relic protection unit in 1956, redesignated a Sichuan heritage protection unit in 1980, and listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2001, recognition tied to the surviving Ming-dynasty halls and their murals and statuary.

What to look for

• Pilu Hall’s Ming murals depict Buddhist figures in detailed colour.
• The historic halls preserve different forms of Buddhist painting and sculpture.

Location & getting there

Getting to Guanyin Temple, Xinjin

Use Guanyin Temple in Baoqiao village, Yongshang Town, Xinjin, on the Jiulian Mountain side of town. Arrange the onward road transfer from Xinjin’s urban or rail area. Confirm hall access and follow the staff’s photography rules.