Chengdu (pop. 4,000,000), the capital of Sichuan
Province, is a sprawling city, covering an area of 3861
km2, of which 50 km2 is urban. It is home
to the Chengdu University of Technology, which made all the
logistical arraignments in China and Tibet. Before departure
there was an opportunity to tour some of the sights, including
the Jewel Light Monastery. A huge statue of Mao Zedong towers
over the downtown area surrounded by capitalist advertising
(right). 
Chengdu
University of Technology was founded in 1956 as the Chengdu
College of Geology. It changed its name in 1993 to Chengdu
Institute of Technology (CDIT), which was the name during our
visit. It is now is called the Chengdu University of Technology.
The university grants masters and doctoral degrees. In the center
of campus is an extensive garden with ponds and streams (left);
the library is built out over a reflecting pool. We are greeted
by Associate Professor He Dashun, Foreign Affairs Director, who
has undertaken all the logistics for the long trip ahead. With
him are Professor Lin Maobing and Associate Professor Wang
Wenbin, who will accompany us on the trip. There are some
additional campus images at the CDUT overseas alumni
site, including the Foreign Expert
Residential Building, where we stayed. 
The Jewel Light Monastery (Baoguang Si), located about
15 km north of Chengdu, is home to about 500 Buddhist monks. The
name may also be translated as "precious light" or "divine
light." The monastery, originally built during the Han Dynasty
(A.D. 25 - 220), has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of
times. The temple complex was not damaged during the Cultural
Revolution; Red Guards were prevented from damaging the monastery
by military troops sent by Zhou Enlai in 1967.
The monastery is a complex of temple halls and over a dozen
courtyards. The main courtyard is dominated by the towering Sheli
Pagoda (right). The pagoda is not plumb; the upper eight levels
are set slightly off center and twisted relative to the lower
part of the tower. The stonework at the base is ornately carved.
The whitewashed walls of each level have small glassed niches
that contain small gilded statues of Buddha. In 881, at the end
of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong fled here from the rebellious
troops of Huang Chao from Chang'an. The pagoda is the repository
for relics of Buddha that were discovered during his exile in
Sichuan.
