Baojing Village

Baojing Village

【Baojing Temple】

Baojing Village is nestled against mountains and beside water, boasting picturesque scenery. Look at this temple—it’s an ancient temple of western Sichuan, Baojing Temple. Observe the stone plaque above the gate, bearing four large characters that read “Xiuyiquefang” (秀挹群芳), meaning “Gathering the Essence of All Flowers.” These were inscribed in the fifth year of the Daoguang reign (1825) by Zhang Huaisi, a Juren from Guanghan and a renowned calligrapher of Sichuan, who was moved by the beauty of Baojing Temple and composed this inscription. It has a history of several hundred years.

There is also a touching legend about Baojing Temple. It is said that after Zhang Xianzhong pacified Sichuan, he established the Daxi Kingdom in Chengdu. However, the good times did not last long—he was defeated by the Qing army sent by Emperor Shunzhi and was forced to flee northward through Sichuan. One day, he arrived at Aijiaba, where one of his favorite concubines was about to give birth, so he ordered the army to set up camp. That very night, the concubine gave birth to a son. Overjoyed yet worried, Zhang Xianzhong was happy to have a child in his sixties but anxious because the military situation was dire, and the child might not survive. Just then, a guard came to report that someone outside wished to see him. A woman entered the tent and immediately bowed down. Zhang Xianzhong was puzzled and did not understand what was going on. The woman said, “A few years ago, when Your Majesty passed through our area, I fled with my nephew and son. It was Your Majesty who instructed me to hang a sprig of mugwort on the door, which protected the safety of our Aijiaba. How could Your Majesty have forgotten? Today, I have come especially to express my gratitude.” Only then did Zhang Xianzhong recall the incident. Hearing the baby’s cries and moved by the woman’s kindness, he entrusted the child to her. To ensure they could recognize each other in the future, he gave the woman a bronze mirror as a token.

Speaking of this bronze mirror, it was no ordinary object. It was obtained by Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng after they overthrew the Ming Dynasty, taken from a princess. Legend has it that this mirror had once belonged to Yang Guifei. Shaped like a full moon, it had remained mirror-bright despite a thousand years of history, able to reflect even the finest hairs. Its back was embossed with the image of a phoenix facing the sun, entirely inlaid with jewels, including an emerald as big as a broad bean—masterfully crafted, it was a rare treasure.

Soon after, Zhang Xianzhong met his defeat, and the concubine also died in the chaos of war. The woman later fell ill and passed away as well. Before her death, she took out the precious mirror and instructed her nephew and son to treat the royal child well. When the young prince turned 15 and learned of his true identity, he became utterly disheartened, renounced worldly life, and became a monk. He enshrined the mirror in the temple and spent the rest of his life in quiet devotion. Upon the monk’s death, the mirror emitted a brilliant light that enveloped the entire temple. Afterward, the mirror disappeared without a trace. Some say it ascended to heaven with the monk, and thus later generations named the temple Baojing Temple (Mirror Temple).

Baojing Temple has always enjoyed flourishing incense offerings. By the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign in the Qing Dynasty (1817), local residents donated funds for renovations. The abbot invited renowned painters from western Sichuan to create nearly a hundred murals on the temple walls, including scenes from *Journey to the West* and *The Romance of the West Chamber*. Everyone can take a close look—these murals are still well preserved today and are considered the treasured masterpieces of Baojing Temple. The county’s cultural department is planning to apply for the title of “Hometown of Murals in China,” so perhaps in the near future, you can join us in witnessing this momentous occasion.

Source: Public Information Network of Luojiang County People’s Government