Ai Dao Tang is located on Tongshun Bridge Street in Chengdu, covering an area of nearly 10 acres. Originally known as Yuan Jue An, it was founded beside the Tongshun Bridge of the ancient North Palace Canal during the Ming Dynasty, with a history of over 500 years. In the first half of the 20th century, the ancient Yuan Jue An was renamed to Shi Fang Ai Dao Nian Fo Tang, commonly referred to as Ai Dao Tang. Its main structure is in the Southern Ming and Qing palace style, while the side halls and rooms are in the Southern late Qing and early Republic of China architectural style, highlighting the characteristics of ‘harmony of rigidity and softness, both revered and beautiful’.
The Ai Dao Tang’s mountain gate is distinctive and majestic. Inside is the ‘Hall of the Heavenly Kings’, where the Maitreya Buddha sits in the center, welcoming guests from all directions with a smile; the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings stand on both sides.
