James Baquet

    jamesbaquet@gmail.com

    IN June of 2012 I found myself in the central Chinese city of Chongqing. This hilly metropolis is located on a peninsula where the Jialing River coming down from Gansu meets the Yangtze on its way from the glaciers of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau all the way across China to Shanghai on the East China Sea.

    A notable trait of Chongqing is its lack of bicycles. Located as it is on a series of hills, the terrain would make pedaling impossible. An ancient and fascinating temple lies in the heart of this densely-populated area.

    Luohan Temple is said to be about 1,000 years old, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Presumably, the peninsula was a little roomier back then, and probably difficult to reach from across the rivers.

    A “luohan” is an arahant or arhat, one of the enlightened disciples of the Buddha. In fact, the Chinese “aluohan” was an early transliteration of the Sanskrit “arahant.” As can be expected, this temple has a fine, recently-refurbished set of the 500 arhats. (The hall was closed for repairs when I visited in 2007.)

    Another outstanding feature of this temple is a set of fake “grottoes,” carved rocks lining the entry between the Heavenly Kings’ Hall and the vegetarian restaurant on the grounds.

    At the farthest reaches of the temple is a beautiful “black lacquered hall” with a quiet courtyard behind. The downstairs of the hall is also peaceful, and filled with gorgeous statues. The whole place is a real treat in this busy urban environment.