Daci Temple, nestled within the Taikoo Li shopping development in the Chunxi Road area, is one of Chengdu's oldest Buddhist institutions. Founded in the Eastern Jin dynasty (4th century AD), it has been rebuilt and restored many times and now occupies a much smaller footprint than its Tang-era peak. Active worship continues alongside the visitors.
The temple's courtyard has good examples of ancient ginkgo trees and a serene atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the boutiques pressing against its walls. The Taikoo Li development, for what it's worth, is also architecturally interesting — a low-rise mixed-use complex designed around the temple's scale, one of the better pieces of urban commercial development in China's inner cities.