Stele of the Dabao'en Temple

Stele of the Dabao'en Temple

The stele of the Dabao'en Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The stele of the Dabao'en Temple is located at the northern mountain gate of Baoetageng outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing.

The stele of the Dabao'en Temple includes two steles: the Imperial Stele of the Left Side of the Dabao'en Temple on the south and the Imperial Stele of the Right Side of the Dabao'en Temple on the north. These were carved in the 22nd year of the Yongle reign (1424) and the 3rd year of the Xuande reign (1428) of the Ming Dynasty respectively. The two steles were originally symmetrically arranged on the north and south sides of the Xianghe Bridge within the temple, about 100 meters apart. The original stele pavilions no longer exist.

The Dabao'en Temple was built during the Yongle period (1403–1424) of the Ming Dynasty. It was grand in scale and exquisitely constructed, featuring main structures such as the Vajra Hall, the stele pavilion, the Mahavira Hall, and the Glazed Pagoda. The Glazed Pagoda was majestic and luxurious. Both the temple and the pagoda were destroyed during the Xianfeng period (1851–1861) of the Qing Dynasty. In 1989, the Nanjing Museum reconstructed an archway based on unearthed glazed arch components. The outer diameter of the arch is 3.55 meters high, and the inner diameter is 2.18 meters wide. On the current site of the temple ruins, there remains a stone stele, 8.55 meters in total height, with the inscription “□□ Dabao'en Temple Records.” A turtle-shaped pedestal (bixi) is also preserved.

Further reading:

· First and Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province