Raw data
"Since the Bao'en Temple Pagoda 报恩寺塔 is in the north of the old town of Suzhou, it is also known as Beisi (North Temple) Pagoda 北寺塔. It is said to have first been constructed during the Three Kingdoms period by the order of Sun Quan, the King of Wu State, who prayed for the happiness of his mother. The extant pagoda was constructed between 1131 and 1162 during the Southern Song Dynasty.
The octagonal, nine-storey pagoda, 76 meters high, was built of brick and wood. […] During repairs in 1960 and 1975 some valuable items, including a copper turtle, a statue of Buddha and some Buddhist relics, were found inside the steeple."
http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
"Pagoda at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou - Suzhou repays a debt of gratitude the temple tower north in the west to repay a debt of gratitude in the temple located at Jiangsu Province Suzhou in (people's road 652), also north name temple tower. Tower high 9 (76 meters), occupy a land area of 1.3 Chinese acres. This tower is known as “Wu Zhong the first ancient temple”. […] is the Suzhou most ancient Buddhist temple, was already more than 1700 years. Builds in three-country Wu Chiwu the year (A.D. 238-251 years), hands down is Madame Sun Quan mother Wu Tai the shed dwelling constructs, the ancient name acquires understanding of esoteric teachings the temple. Tang Kaiyuannianjian (A.D. 713-741 years) change Kaiyuan Temple. The Five Dynasties Northern Zhou Dynasty obviously Germany year (A.D. 954-959 years) reconstruct, change name to repay a debt of gratitude the temple. repays a debt of gratitude the temple tower is the Chinese pavilion type pagoda, the biography builds in three-country Wu, Southern Dynasty Liang (A.D. 502-557 years) when constructs 11 towers, the Northern Song Dynasty burns; During a Yuan abundant (1078~1085) year the reconstruction is 9, at the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty constructs the inflammation four years (1130) duplicate to destroy in Song Jinzhan; The Southern Song Dynasty Shaoxing 23 years (in 1153) rebuilt eight nine pagodas, the extant north temple tower's brick structure tower body was the construction in original then."
http://www.360cities.net/image/suzhoushi-beisita#41.30,-19.80,70.0
Input by: tmciolek, Nov 10, 2012
"Beisi, the Temple of the North, stands on the site of the 4th century Tongxuan temple, which was commissioned by Sun Quan, the Emperor of Wu, for his wet nurse. The kingdom of Wu was one of the warring states of fabled antiquity. In the Tang dynasty the temple was renamed "Epoch-making Temple" and was later renamed "Reciprocation Temple" in the Five Dynasty period. Only later did it acquire its present name.
The temple's most prominent feature, its pagoda, was commissioned in the 13th century by Dayuan, a monk in the Southern Song dynasty. It replaced the ruins of an older eleven-story pagoda built in the Liang Dynasty by the monk Zhanghui. Though the present pagoda is "only" nine stories tall, it towers an impressive 76 meters above the surrounding landscape, facing another pagoda on nearby Tiger Hill."
Input by: tmciolek, Aug 07, 2014
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 14 Aug 2014
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Bao'en monastery, CN.
Lat 31.3245 Long 120.6153
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Bao'en monastery - http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- China:Jiangsu Sheng
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Bao'en Temple 报恩寺 - http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
- Beisi (North Temple) 北寺 - http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 31.3245 Long 120.6153 - visual identification of the Bao'en Pagoda in satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 10 Nov 2012
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Su-chou - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Suzhou.html
- Wu-hsien - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Suzhou.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 31.3114 Long 120.6181 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Suzhou.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Mahayana
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- First built (A.D. 238-251) - http://dharmacowgirl.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/shifting-the-center-part-i/
- MBM chrono-tag 0233-66c - tmciolek 25 Dec 2012
- MBM chrono-tag 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el
12. Date-intermediate
- The pagoda was constructed between 1131 and 1162 during the Southern Song Dynasty - http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
13. Date-late
- The pagoda was repaired between 1960 and 1975 - http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts8839.html
- MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 25 Dec 2012
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- [missing data]
16. Additional notes
- [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
18. Available Printed Literature
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]
end of page