Manjusri
Temple (Wenshu Monastery) in the city proper was
built in the Southern Dynasties (420-589). Covering
an area of about 5.5 hectares, it has 190 buildings
in their simple styles and with exquisite window
carvings. In the scripture-keeping hall rare
cultural relics are preserved. They range from a
kasaya embroidered with 1,000 Buddhas by imperial
concubine Tian of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644) in
the Ming Dynasty, an embroidered portrait of
Avalokitesvara, scriptures written on Pattra Leaves
from ancient India, a 1,200-year-old gilded Buddhist
wheel from Japan, to a jade Buddha from Burma. The
most precious is the skull of Xuanzang, a Buddhist
master of the Tang Dynasty. |