It is one of the most ancient buildings preserved in Luoyang City. Its construction started in the fifteenth year (1175) the Dading reign of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). The cubic shaped pagoda has 13 storeys, and is 25 meters high. The Horse Temple Bell Ring was once one of the eight great sceneries in Luoyang City.įifteen meters east of the temple, in the lush trees, stands the Qiyun Pagoda, also called the Pagoda of Sakyamuni's Relics. In front of the tombs are the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Halls on its east and west house respectively the statues of the two eminent monks, She Moteng and Zhu Falan, who were buried inside the Temple Gate after they passed away. The Kunlu Pavilion stands prominent on the terrace. Four sides of the terrace are piled with green bricks. Behind the bamboo forest is the Qingliang (cool and refreshing) Terrace, with old pine trees flourishing, and halls connecting with each other. The wooden shrine in the hall houses over 5,000 statues of Buddha. They treasures of arts of the Yuan Dynasty are vivid in modeling and graceful in painting. The third hall is the Main Hall, and houses three Buddhas: Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha, flanked by the eighteen Arhats. That bell is a historical relic from the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. There is a huge bell that weighs 2,500 kilograms hung in the hall. In its center sit the statues of Sakyamuni, Chiligyi, Ananda, Manjusgri, Samantabhadra, etc. It is double roofed, with four Chinese characters meaning Buddha shines over the earth in the center. The hall measures five bays in width and four bays in depth. The grounding platform is about 1 meter high. Behind the Heavenly King Hall is the Great Buddha Hall, which is the main hall of the temple. In that hall sit the clay-molded statues of four Heavenly Kings, Maitreya Buddha and Skanda Bodhisattva. The Heavenly King Hall is the first hall inside the temple. A pair of stone horses stands on the two wings in front of the outer wall. The central axis line starts from the Temple Gate, a roofed entrance arch with three doors. The huge White Horse Temple has over 100 rooms. Beside those main buildings are the Reception Chamber, the Cloud-water Chamber, the Ancestors Chamber, the Guests Chamber, the Buddhist Chamber, and the Abbot Courtyard and so on. Facing south, the main buildings of the temple stand on or along the central axis, including the Temple Gate, the Heavenly King Hall, the Great Buddha Hall, the Main Hall, the Jieyin Hall, and the Pilu Pavilion, etc. What we see today was restored during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with an area of 34,000 square meters. The present appearance is much different from its original one. The White Horse Temple has undergone many repairs and renovations in all previous dynasties. In order to memorize the white horse for its carrying back of the sutras, the temple was named the White Horse Temple. The White Horse Temple, built after the style of Indian temples, was the place for She Moteng and Zhu Falan to translate Buddhist sutras and write sermons. Emperor Mingdi ordered the construction of the temple to the north of the imperial road outside the Xiyong Gate of Luoyang City. Cai Yin and Qin Jing came back to Luoyang City with the two monks, and a white horse carrying the sutras. The two envoys underwent much hardship and met two eminent Indian dignitaries She Moteng and Zhu Falan on the way. After he woke up, the emperor sent Cai Yin and Qin Jing as envoys to western regions to invite Buddha and learn Buddhism. According to historical records, Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty dreamed of a golden man flying above the courtyard. It is the first temple built since Buddhism spread to China in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). The White Horse Temple has a history of over 1900 years. The construction of the temple started in the 11th year (68) during the Yongping reign of Emperor Mingdi in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It lies on the south of Mangshan Mountain, and faces the Luohe River in the south. The White Horse Temple enjoys the reputation of the No.1 Ancient Temple of China. The White Horse Temple is located 12 kilometers away from the east of Luoyang City, Henan Province.
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