Archaeologists rediscovered more than 1,500 Buddhist tablets and stone sculptures under Shiye Street in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, following the rediscovery of a lost temple, the West China City Daily reported.
The ruins of Fugan Temple, a well-known Buddhist temple dating from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-589) to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), were discovered recently by archaeologists who had excavated about 11,000 square meters, which was only a part of the temple complex as it stood in the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907). So far, more than 1,000 clay tablets inscribed with Buddhist scriptures and more than 500 stone carvings of Buddha and various Bodhisattvas have been found.
Many ceramics for daily use and building materials were also discovered.
Fugan, meaning “to feel the blessing,” was a famous temple that thrived during the prosperous Tang Dynasty but gradually declined during the Song Dynasty wars.
The famous poet Liu Yuxi and the eminent Tang-era monk Dao Xuan both wrote about the significance of the temple.