Guangji Temple in Baodi 宝坻广济寺

About Guangji Temple in Baodi

The earlier temple was demolished in 1947 and rebuilding took place in the 2000s. Its lost Three Bodhisattvas Hall is important in architectural history: Liang Sicheng studied its exposed timber roof structure in 1932. Visit with that distinction in mind, looking at the reconstructed halls and the temple's continuing religious setting rather than expecting an intact Liao building.

Building began in 1005 under the monk Hongyan (弘演), during the Tonghe era (统和) of the Liao dynasty. Work continued under the monks Daoguang (道广) and Yihong (一弘), and the main hall and mountain gate were finished in 1025, completing the temple complex after this sequence of building campaigns. The Guangji Temple Stele (广济寺碑), made in the third month of 1025, has text by Song Zhang (宋璋) and calligraphy by Pang Kesheng (庞可生). It is 162 centimeters tall and 77 centimeters wide. Reconstruction of the temple on its original site began on 9 August 2005.

What to look for

• The reconstructed Three Bodhisattvas Hall, associated with Liang Sicheng's study of the earlier timber building.
• The rebuilt temple courts and Baoxiang Pavilion, which form the modern religious complex.

Location & getting there

Getting to Guangji Temple in Baodi

Use 宝坻广济寺 at 18 Jingnan Hutong, Baodi District. This is the Baodi temple, separate from similarly named Guangji temples elsewhere.

• Follow the local temple entrance and respect worshippers when entering the courts.