Building the Road to Modernity within Tradition: The Construction and Consecration of Vajra-bodhi Stupa in Chongqing in 1931
By focusing on the case of the Vajra-bodhi Stupa constructed in Chongqing in 1931, this research examines how Buddhism navigated its way between tradition and modernity to reconstruct its identity in Republican China (1911-1949). The stupa was built under the patronage and supervision of Pan Wenhua (1886-1950), a lay Buddhist and the mayor of Chongqing. To modernize the city, Pan ordered the relocation of thousands of tombs in order to build roads and improve transportation in the city. In response to the local residents’ tradition of ancestor worship and fear of dislocated haunting ghosts, the stupa was built. This paper will discuss how Buddhists creatively intergrated traditional views and practices into their conception of modernity in Republican China through the construction and consecration of the stupa.