White Horse Temple----- "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism"

White Horse Temple is, according to tradition, the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han capital Luoyang. The temple, although small in size in comparison to many other temples in China, is considered by most believers as "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism".

In the year 64 of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Emperor Ming sent a delegation of his men to study Buddhism in the western world. Two eminent Indian monks named She Moteng and Zhu Falan came back with the delegation 3 years later. They brought with them a white horse carrying Buddhist sutras and Buddhist figures on its back. This was the first time that Buddhism appeared in China. To express his thanks to the two monks and their white horse, the emperor ordered the building of a monastery which he named the White Horse Temple. During this time, the two monks were busy translating sutras in the temple until they completed the Chinese sutra 'Forty-two Chapter Sutra', which attracted many monks and meant that the temple became a centre for Buddhist activity in China. It is for this reason that the temple is honored as the 'Founder's Home' and the 'Cradle of Buddhism in China'.

White Horse TempleThe temple is covered with green ancient trees and appears solemn and tranquil. Outside the gate, there is a pool with fences around and lovely fish in the water. It is for the believers to set free the captive animals. After crossing the pool via a stone bridge, you will enter the temple. To the east and west of the gate are the tombs of She Moteng and Zhu Falan, which are one of the six most famous sights here. In the east corner stands a tablet pavilion. The Chinese characters written on the tablet are the work of a Chinese calligrapher abbot Shamen Wencai, designed during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-368). They are written in his familiarly free and easy style and describe the history of the temple.

The temple boasts great antique architecture which has remained intact for over 1,900 years. The Hall of Heavenly Kings, Hall of the Great Buddha, Hall of Mahavira, Hall of Guidance and the Cool and Clear Terrace appear in proper order in the temple, as they were when it was first built.

The first large hall in the temple complex is known as ‘The Hall of Heavenly Kings’ where statue of Maitreya, known as the laughing Buddha, is the main deity deified right at the forefront of the hall. This statue is flanked on the eastern and western sides by four heavenly kings, each representing one fourth of the universe. The eastern side is ruled by Chigua (guardian of the State) carrying a Pipa, the western side is controlled by Guangmu (Sharp-seer) with a dragon in his hand, the southern direction is represented by Zengzhang (Growth Protector), carrying an umbrella and the northern direction is represented by Duowen (Knowledge Preserver), carrying a Pagoda. In addition, there is also a statue of Skanda (a high ranking heavenly general and defender of Buddhist law) with back to the Maitreya statue.

Hall of the Great Buddha boasts the most spectacular architecture in the whole temple. The roof is covered with exquisite pantiles; the upturned eaves and the bracket system reflect the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A statue of the Buddhist patriarch Sakyamuni stands in the middle of the hall for people to make offerings to. He is flanked by two of his disciples - Kasyapa and Ananda. The one with sutra in his hands is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom - Manjusri. The other is the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence - Samantabhadra. All of these statues provide vivid portraits with smooth lines and demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty.

There are many other famous halls you can visit. In addition, there is an important flower festival named Peony Festival held in Luoyang every year on April 10–25 and attracts large crowds to the city and the White Horse Temple.

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