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103-583: The site is just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, some 12–13 kilometres (7.5–8.1 mi) east of Luoyang in Henan Province . It is approximately 40 minutes by bus No. 56 from Luoyang railway station. The temple, although small in comparison to many others in China, is considered by most believers as "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism". The geographical landmarks to the south are Manghan mountain and Lucoche River. The main temple buildings,

206-665: A Buddhist fable and not a valid historical event. The White Horse Temple is not recorded in contemporary sources before 289. However, there is a Poma si mentioned in Chang'an in 266 and another of the same name at Jingcheng in central Hubei at about the same date. It is said that the next year, the Emperor ordered the construction of the White Horse Temple on the south side of the Imperial Drive three li outside

309-553: A Nestorian Christian Sogdian woman, Lady An (安氏), who died in 821, and her Nestorian Christian Han Chinese husband, Hua Xian (花献), who died in 827. These Han Chinese Christian men may have married Sogdian Christian women because of a lack of Han Chinese women belonging to the Christian religion, limiting their choice of spouses among the same ethnicity. Another epitaph in Luoyang of a Nestorian Christian Sogdian woman also surnamed An

412-1332: A far less frequent service, only seeing north–south trains or vice versa that don't stop at Luoyang railway station. Luoyang Longmen railway station sees high-speed services on the Zhengzhou–Xi'an high-speed railway . Luoyang is served by Luoyang Beijiao Airport . Luoyang is twinned with: Direct-administered municipalities . Sub-provincial cities as provincial capitals . Separate state-planning cities . Special economic-zone cities . Open coastal cities . Prefecture capital status established by Heilongjiang Province and not recognized by Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disputed by Oroqen Autonomous Banner , Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia as part of it. Only administers islands and waters in South China Sea and have no urban core comparable to typical cities in China. The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction. See Template:Administrative divisions of Taiwan instead. Scythia Scythia ( UK : / ˈ s ɪ ð i ə / , US : / ˈ s ɪ θ i ə / ; ) or Scythica ( UK : / ˈ s ɪ ð i k ə / , US : / ˈ s ɪ θ i k ə / )

515-767: A frenzy, since many parts of the temple had been damaged during the Cultural Revolution and items were missing. Post haste, 2900 artefacts, which were in other palaces and museums in China, such as the Palace of Benevolent Tranquillity on the western side of the Forbidden City and statues in the Arhat Hall ( Luohan Tang ) of the Temple of Azure Clouds in Beijing's Fragrant Hills were secretly shifted to

618-633: A large complex, were reconstructed during the Ming (1368 to 1644) and Qing (1644 to 1912) dynasties. They were refurbished in the 1950s, and again in March 1973 after the Cultural Revolution . It has numerous halls divided by courtyards and manicured gardens, covering an area of about 13 hectares (32 acres). The display plaques in Chinese and English give ample descriptions of the Buddhist deities installed in

721-622: A major administrative reorganization of Luoyang city. Yanshi City was reorganized into an urban district (Yanshi District), while Jili District and Mengjin County were merged into Mengjin District. This reorganization effectively doubled the urban area of Luoyang. As its name states , the Old Town of Luoyang is located on the north bank of the Luo , a southern tributary of the middle reaches of

824-577: A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on 11 April 2005. It stipulated that India would build an Indian-style Buddhist temple to the west side of the White Horse Temple, in the International Garden of the complex. Under this agreement, India was to provide the architectural design, material for construction, the Buddha statue, landscaping and technical advice from architects and experts during construction. Chinese authorities were to allot

927-539: A military officers and openly celebrated their Christian religion and support Christian monasteries. Central Asians like Sogdians were called "Hu" (胡) by the Chinese during the Tang dynasty. Central Asian "Hu" women were stereotyped as barmaids or dancers by Han in China. Occasionally, "Hu" women would be involved in prostitution as the "Hu" women in China were at times in occupations that doubled as illicit services. During

1030-513: A piece of land of 2,666.67 square metres (28,703.8 sq ft). Following the MOU, a Buddhist shrine that is a close replica of the Sanchi Stupa was completed in 2008. Its presence in the precincts of China's first temple was inspired by Buddhist saints from India. The architectural features of the new temple closely recreate those of Sanchi's Stupa, including Sanchi's east gate. An image of

1133-587: A predecessor to the pagoda. The same inscription of 1175 stated that a Jin official had the stone Qilun Pagoda erected soon after. The pagoda is built with the design style imitating the square-based pagodas of the Tang dynasty . Between the 13th century and the 20th century, the temple underwent restoration/renovation under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Significant restoration took place in

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1236-404: A sub-central city. As part of this development, authorities decided to expand the urban area of Luoyang. This not only facilitated planning and coordinated use of resources and infrastructure in Luoyang, but also allowed for better integration towards Zhengzhou, as Yanshi, Jili and Mengjin previously separated the Luoyang urban area from Zhengzhou. On 28 March 2021, the central government approved

1339-530: A translation true to the time. White Horse Temple is the modern, literal reading. However, this may be a folk etymology as there were other early temples in different centres with the same name. The monk Zhidun (or Chih Tun) (314–366), who was a famous propagator of Buddhism in the southern capital is recorded as having discussions with Fenghui at the Baima si (Pai ma) monastery in Jiankang (previously Jianye),

1442-494: A unified empire. On April 4, 190 AD, Chancellor Dong Zhuo ordered his soldiers to ransack, pillage, and raze the city as he retreated from the coalition set up against him by regional lords all over China. The court was subsequently moved to the more defensible western city of Chang'an (modern Xi'an). Following a period of disorder, during which warlord Cao Cao held the last Han emperor Xian in Xuchang (196–220), Luoyang

1545-500: Is Mahayana Buddhism practice, which is widely followed even though the Theravada or Hinayana came to China first. In 258 a royal Kuchean monk, Po-Yen, translated six Buddhist texts into Chinese at the temple, including the important Infinite Life Sutra . The famous Indo-Scythian Buddhist translator Dharmarakṣa ( Chinese : 竺法護 ; pinyin : Zhú Fǎhù ), active ca. 266–308 CE, came to Luoyang in 266 and resided at

1648-583: Is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city , it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast. As of December 31, 2018, Luoyang had a population of 6,888,500 inhabitants with 2,751,400 people living in

1751-713: Is also celebrated for the cultivation of peonies , its city flower. Since 1983, each mid-April the city hosts the Peony Culture Festival of Luoyang. More than 19 million tourists visited Luoyang during the 2014 festival. "Spring in Luoyang" ( 洛阳 春 ; Luòyáng Chūn ), an ancient Chinese composition, became popular in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and is still performed in its dangak (Koreanized) version Nakyangchun ( 낙양춘 ). Lou Harrison , an American composer, has also created an arrangement of

1854-580: Is also mentioned), installed during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty , near the altar, which is struck in time during the chanting of prayers by the monks. A community of ten thousand monks resided here during the Tang dynasty . The inscription on the bell reads: "The sound of the Bell resounds in Buddha's temple causing the ghosts in Hell to tremble with fear." The living quarters of

1957-519: Is among the oldest cities in China and one of the cradles of Chinese civilization . It is the earliest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China . The name "Luoyang" originates from the city's location on the north or sunny ( "yang" ) side of the Luo River . Since the river flows from west to east and the sun is to the south of the river, the sun always shines on the north side of the river. Luoyang has had several names over

2060-541: Is deified in the library and the other was sent to Thailand. The Mahavira Hall enshrines the statues of three principal Buddhas. The central image is of the Sakyamuni Buddha. This statue is flanked on the left by Bhaisajyaguru and on the right by Amitabha ; these in turn are flanked by two heavenly generals named Wei Tuo and Wei Li. Statues of the Eighteen Arhats adorn the side of the hall. All

2163-506: Is one of the famous banquets passed on for generations in the history of Chinese cuisine, consists of 8 cold and 16 warm dishes all cooked in various broths, gravies, or juices. The water here has two meanings: one is that all the hot dishes have soup-tang soup water; the other is that each dish is served after another smoothly just like flowing water. It comprises a wide selection of ingredients, simple and versatile, diverse tastes, sour, spicy, sweet and salty, comfortable and delicious. Luoyang

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2266-479: Is the main deity located in the hall's front. 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

2369-532: Is the most common way to get into the city from either Xi'an or Zhengzhou . Luoyang has a bus system of around 30+ lines. Taxis are also a common sight in the city. Line 1 of Luoyang Subway opened 28 March 2021. Line 2 opened on 26 December 2021. The main station for conventional rail services is Luoyang railway station on the Longhai railway . Guanlin railway station on the Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railway has

2472-468: The 2010 census , the 5 "built-up" urban districts held a population of 1,857,003, making it the fourth-largest city in Henan . The entire area of Luoyang's municipal government held 6,549,941 inhabitants total. With the 2017 designation of Zhengzhou as a National Central City, Henan Province in 2020 proposed a new development plan for Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area, which called for the development of Luoyang as

2575-648: The Dazeng Zong Jing , the Tibet Jing and so forth. An ancient Buddha statue of China is installed at the centre of the repository. The making of this Buddha statue is traced to the Eastern Han dynasty . The statue was misplaced at the early 20th century. However, it was later found in Thailand and was replicated in bronze into two 97 centimetres (38 in) tall statues and then gilded. One of these

2678-549: The Eastern Han dynasty capital of Luoyang would be built over Chengzhou. Modern Luoyang is built over the ruins of Wangcheng, which are still visible today at Wangcheng Park. Qin Shi Huang's chief minister, Lu Buwei, was given Luoyang. Lu began programs to develop and beautify Luoyang. It is said that Liu Bang visited Luoyang and considered making it his capital but was persuaded to reconsider by his ministers to turn to Chang'an instead for his capital. In 25 AD, Luoyang

2781-834: The Qing dynasty . The population was reduced to that of an average county. However, for one last time, Luoyang city was the capital of the Republic of China for a brief period of time during the Japanese invasion. By 1949, Luoyang's population was 75,000. After the People's Republic of China was established, Luoyang was revived as a major heavy industrial hub. In the first five-year plan of China , 7 of 156 Soviet-aided major industrial programmes were launched in Luoyang's Jianxi District , including Dongfanghong Tractor Factory, Luoyang Mining Machines Factory and Luoyang Bearing Factory. Later, during

2884-481: The Third Front construction, a group of heavy industry factories was moved to or founded in Luoyang, including Luoyang Glass Factory. Industrial development significantly shifted Luoyang's demographic makeup, and about half of Luoyang's population are new immigrants after 1949 from outside the province or their descendants. The prefecture-level city of Luoyang administers 7 districts and 7 counties : During

2987-751: The War of the Eight Princes and Upheaval of the Five Barbarians under the Jin. In 311 AD, rebel forces of the Xiongnu -led Han-Zhao dynasty sacked and razed the city in an event known as the Disaster of Yongjia . For the next two centuries, Luoyang would cease as a major population hub, but remained a hotly contested region among various states to come. It was the site of a pivotal battle in 328 between

3090-654: The White Horse Temple , the first Buddhist temple in China, was founded in Luoyang. The temple still exists, though the architecture is of later origin, mainly from the 16th century. An Shigao was one of the first monks to popularize Buddhism in Luoyang. The diplomat Ban Chao restored the Silk Road during the Eastern Han dynasty, thus making Luoyang the eastern terminus of the Silk Road during

3193-678: The Xia , Shang , and Zhou dynasties . The total number of exhibits on display is 1,700. China's only tomb museum, the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum , opened to the public in 1987 and is situated north of the modern town. The Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory (also known as the Dengfeng Observatory or the Tower of Chou Kong) stands 80 km (50 mi) south-east of Luoyang. It was constructed in 1276 during

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3296-516: The Yellow River . The districts of the modern urban center include both banks and some of the surrounding mountains. The countryside controlled by the municipal government includes still more rugged land: mountains comprise 45.51% of the total area; hills, 40.73%; and plains, 13.8%. Luoyang has a highly continental dry-winter humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cwa ). Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −18.2 °C (−1 °F) (unofficial record of −20 °C (−4 °F))

3399-599: The Yuan dynasty by Guo Shoujing as a giant gnomon for "the measurement of the sun's shadow". Prior to the Jesuit China Missions , it was used for establishing the summer and winter solstices in traditional Chinese astronomy . Luoyang is the foundation of Confucianism, the birth of Taoism, the first transmission of Buddhism, the formation of metaphysics, and the origin of neo-Confucianism. All kinds of cultural thoughts are integrated and symbiosis here, and

3502-407: The compass , paper making and printing among the four great inventions of ancient China were born here. Luoyang is also the cultural root and ancestral lineage of the global Chinese, more than 100 million Hakka ancestral home in the world, 70% of China's clan name originated here, Heluo culture represented by "Hetu Luoshu" is the ancestral source of Chinese civilization. Water Banquet , which

3605-562: The 'Cool and Clear Terrace' known as the 'Qingliang Terrace' is behind the main hall, the place where the original sutras were translated. This terrace is amidst bamboo forest of old pine trees and has halls which are interconnected. Four sides of the terrace are piled with green bricks. The central building of the terrace is the Vairocana Pavilion, which was originally constructed during the Han dynasty. The present building dates back to

3708-562: The 'White Horse Di' living there. It is possible, but unprovable, that the name Baima derived from some of these peoples, who may have been influenced by Buddhism at an early period, rather than from literal white horse(s) carrying scriptures. Here are several forms of the legends relating to the foundation and naming of the temple: According to 'The Chapter on the Western Regions' of the Hou Hanshu ( Book of Later Han ), which

3811-413: The 16th century and some buildings date to this period, although some have since been renovated. Under the People's Republic of China, the temple has seen many renovations in the period between 1952 and 1973 following the Cultural Revolution . The Cultural Revolution had left the temple ravaged and emptied of relics, with many buildings burnt down. In 1973, Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia visited

3914-795: The Altar of the Gods of the Soils and Grains, the Altar of Heaven, and the Temple of the eminent Founder, Emperor Gao of Former Han were inaugurated. The Imperial University was restored in 29 AD. In 48 AD, the Yang Canal linked the capital to the Luo. In 56 AD, the main imperial observatory, the Spiritual Terrace, was constructed. For several centuries, Luoyang was the focal point of China. In AD 68,

4017-520: The Buddha was transported from India and consecrated in the new temple, in conformity with the Indian Buddhist tradition. It is worth noticing that this temple was built on land donated by the Chinese government. The shrine is a two-storied structure with circular walls on both floors. Its circular walls are embellished with murals of scenes from the Jataka tales and the life of Buddha. The temple

4120-590: The Greeks named Hylaea ( Ancient Greek : Υλαια , romanized :  Hulaia , lit.   'the Woodland';), consisting of the region of the lower Dnipro river along the territory of what is modern-day Kherson and the valleys further north along the river, was covered with forests. Conditions in the southern lands near the shores of the Black Sea were propitious for agriculture. Before

4223-596: The Han dynasty. In 166 AD, the first Roman mission , sent by "the king of Da Qin [the Roman Empire], Andun" ( Marcus Aurelius Antoninus , r. 161–180 AD), reached Luoyang after arriving by sea in Rinan Commandery in what is now central Vietnam . The late 2nd century saw China decline into anarchy: The decline was accelerated by the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans , who, although defeated by

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4326-708: The Han-Zhao and Later Zhao dynasties which established the latter as a hegemonic power in the north. The city changed hands several times throughout the Sixteen Kingdoms period, as it was also controlled by the Former Yan , Former Qin and Later Qin dynasties. The Jin dynasty, which had relocated south of the Yangtze river after the upheaval, was even able to recover the city on a few occasions. In winter 416, during Liu Yu's northern expedition against

4429-434: The Hsi-yang Gate of the capital Luoyang , to remember the horse that carried back the sutras. After the death of the Emperor a meditation hall was built on his tomb. In front of the stupa luxuriant pomegranate and grape vines were grown which were said to be larger than those elsewhere. Buddhism evolved in China after arriving from India, as a blend of Chinese beliefs and needs, particularly in respect of its folk heritage. It

4532-407: The Imperial troops in 184 AD, weakened the state to the point where there was a continuing series of rebellions degenerating into civil war, culminating in the burning of the Han capital of Luoyang on 24 September 189 AD. This was followed by a state of continual unrest and wars in China until a modicum of stability returned in the 220s, but with the establishment of three separate kingdoms, rather than

4635-434: The Later Qin, Luoyang fell to the Jin general Tan Daoji . In 422, the city was captured by Xianbei -led Northern Wei dynasty . The Liu Song dynasty , which succeeded the Jin, briefly recovered the city in 430, but by the 460s, Luoyang was definitively under Wei control. In 493 AD, as part of his sinicization campaign, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moved the capital from Datong to Luoyang, moving over 150,000 people to

4738-405: The Ming dynasty and was built with a xieshan style roof with double eaves. The pavilion principally enshrines statues of Vairocana Buddha and the Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra . In addition, a total of 5,050 wood-carved Buddha statues, made with incense ash, are enshrined on both sides of the pavilion. The terrace also has the Kunlu Pavilion with halls on its east and west that house

4841-402: The Morning Sun Gate) of the Southern Palace and on near the [Ch'ang]yeh Terrace (The Eternal Night Terrace). He, however, makes no mention of the temple. The Emperor is said to have sent a monk or monks to India or Scythia who returned carrying the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters on a white horse. The Sutra was received by the Emperor and housed in a temple built outside the walls of Luo Yang. It

4944-458: The White Horse Temple from at least the spring of 289 to 290 CE. Furthermore, the renowned monk Xuanzang of the Tang dynasty , who spent 16 years on a pilgrimage to India (630–635 CE) as a result of his desire to visit the Buddha's homeland, started his pilgrimage from this temple. On his return, Xuanzang remained the abbot of the White Horse Temple until his death. During his stay, apart from his teaching duties and other religious activities at

5047-460: The White Horse Temple. He ordered that the sacred texts and religious paraphernalia of the Taoists be placed on the eastern gate and the sacred texts, relics and Buddha image of the westerners in the hall of seven gems on the west. He then ordered that the objects be thrown into the fire, and whichever documents survived the fire then that religion would receive his patronage. The Taoists expected that their texts would survive. This did not happen as all

5150-405: The Xia capital to the intersection of the Luo and Yi and named the city Zhenxun ( 斟鄩 ). In 1600 BC, Tang of Shang defeated Jie , the final Xia dynasty king, and built Western Bo, ( 西亳 ), a new capital on the Luo River. The ruins of Western Bo are located in Luoyang Prefecture. In 1036 BC a settlement named Chengzhou ( 成周 ) was constructed by the Duke of Zhou for the remnants of

5253-416: The altars are filled with fruit and other offerings made by the devotees. Multicoloured tapestry hang from the ceilings of the halls and lighted candles float in the basins, presenting a divine spiritual setting. The smallest hall is known as the “Hall of greetings”. It is a relatively new building that was built during the 9th year of Guangho period as replacement to the original hall which was burned down at

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5356-439: The ancient Greek names for the Scythians, Skuthēs ( Σκυθης ) and Skuthoi ( Σκυθοι ), derived from the Scythian endonym Skuδa . The territory of the Scythian kingdom of the Pontic steppe extended from the Don river in the east to the Danube river in the west, and covered the territory of the treeless steppe immediately north of the Black Sea 's coastline, which was inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, as well as

5459-425: The arrival of the Scythians, this region of the Pontic Steppe was dominated by the Agathyrsi , who were nomadic Iranian people related to the Scythians. The Scythian migration pushed the Agathyrsi westwards, away from the steppes and from their original home around Lake Maeotis , and into the Carpathian region. Beginning in the late 4th century BC, another related nomadic Iranian people, the Sarmatians, moved from

5562-432: The beginning of the Tonghzi period. This hall has deified statues of three western paradise (Indian) saints. Amitabha , the founder, is at the centre and is flanked by Guanyin on the left and Mahasthamaprapta on the right. The founders of the temple whose statues are worshiped in the ‘Hall of Six Founders’ belonged to the sect of Chan . The names of the founders as displayed in the order of their succession: Bodidharma,

5665-399: The built-up (or metro) area made of the city's five out of six urban districts (except the Jili District not continuously urbanized) and Yanshi District , now being conurbated. By the end of 2022, Luoyang Municipality had jurisdiction over 7 municipal districts, 7 counties and 1 development zone. The permanent population is 7.079 million. Situated on the central plain of China, Luoyang

5768-490: The capital of the Eastern Jin (317-420). There was also a Baima si at Xiangyang where Daoan and his disciples stayed c.  365 . To further complicate the search for the origin of the name, there were peoples known as the 'White Horse Qiang' and 'Di' who lived in the 'White Horse Valley' on the upper reaches of the Min River , which flows south from the Min Mountains near the town of Zhangla ([Chang-la]: 32.50° N, 103.40° E) and there are still people calling themselves

5871-406: The captured Shang nobility. The Duke also moved the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to Chengzhou from the Zhou dynasty capital at Haojing . A second Western Zhou capital, Wangcheng (also: Luoyi) was built 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Chengzhou. Wangcheng became the capital of the Eastern Zhou dynasty in 771 BC. The Eastern Zhou dynasty capital was moved to Chengzhou in 510 BC. Later,

5974-417: The centuries, including Luoyi ( 洛邑 ) and Luozhou ( 洛州 ), but Luoyang has been its primary name. It has also been called Dongdu ( 東都 ; 'eastern capital') during the Tang dynasty , Xijing ( 西京 ; 'western capital') during the Song dynasty , or Jingluo ( Chinese : 京洛 ; lit. 'capital Luo'). During the rule of Wu Zetian , the only female emperor in Chinese history,

6077-411: The city was known as Shendu ( 神都 ; 'divine capital'). Luoyang was renamed Henanfu ( 河南府 ) during the Qing dynasty but regained its former name in 1912. The greater Luoyang area has been sacred ground since the late Neolithic period . Several cities – all of which are generally referred to as "Luoyang" – have been built in this area. In 2070 BC, the Xia dynasty king Tai Kang moved

6180-405: The east into the Pontic steppe, where they replaced the Scythians as the dominant power of the Pontic steppe by the Sarmatians, due to which " Sarmatia Europea " (European Sarmatia) replaced " Scythia " as the name for the region. During the Hellenistic period , the use of "Scythia" by Greek and Latin speakers was extended to also cover the southern Russian steppe in general, as well as

6283-409: The emissaries. They carried with them a few sacred texts of sutras — the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters — statues of Buddha, portraits and sacred relics. They reached Lou Yang where they were put up in a temple. The king met them in 67 CE, with due reverence and was pleased with the presents the monks had brought for him. It was the 30th day in the 12th month of Chinese calendar . The Emperor

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6386-420: The emperor ordered the suffix 寺 ( pinyin : sì ) to be used in the temple's name, as a display of respect. This character had been used to denote the ministries of the government. In later periods, all temples, even mosques , came to use this character in their name and it was dropped from the names of government ministries. As a result, the temple's name is sometimes translated as White Horse Ministry ,

6489-438: The famous Tang dynasty official Di Renjie is also located in the eastern end of the complex. Although the temple is open to the public, visitors are closely monitored for security purposes. While the chief abbot stays informed about the country's political situation through a TV installed in his room, monks dwelling in this facility are required to carry an identification card at all times. A stone statue of Maitreya , which

6592-410: The fertile black-earth forest-steppe area to the north of the treeless steppe, which was inhabited by an agricultural population, and the northern border of this Scythian kingdom were the dedicuous woodlands, while several rivers, including Don and Dnipro , flowed southwards across this region and emptied themselves into the Black Sea. Between the 9th and 5th centuries BC, the climate in the steppes

6695-418: The first and the only empress in Chinese history – Empress Wu , moved the capital of her Zhou dynasty to Luoyang and named it as Shen Du (Capital of the God). She constructed the tallest palace in Chinese history, which is now in the site of Sui Tang Luoyang city. Luoyang was heavily damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion . Epitaphs were found dating from the Tang dynasty of a Christian couple in Luoyang of

6798-475: The first founder who hailed from ancient India where he was the 28th generation patriarch preaching the Buddhist philosophy; the second was Huike; the third founder was Sengcan; the fourth was Daoxn, the fifth founder was Hongren; and the sixth was Huineng. Subsequent to Huineng, five schools of Buddhism and Seven Orders were established. In the "Hall of the Jade Buddha," stands an image of the Sakyamuni Buddha . The 1.6 metres (5.2 ft) tall image made in jade

6901-450: The halls. Significant statues include Śākyamuni Buddha , Maitreya (the laughing Buddha in China), Amitābha , the Jade Buddha, Bodhisattvas such as Guanyin , and arhats and stone statues of the two white horses which brought the Indian monks to China and two mythical lions at the entrance. Under international funding, the temple has undergone many changes, both structurally and internally. The most recent cooperative project, with India,

7004-450: The monks are in an exclusive pagoda, with restricted entry, called the "Qiyun Ta," or Qiyun Pagoda. It is approachable after crossing the manicured garden and a bridge to the left of the main temple. This pagoda was built in the 12th century in the fifteenth year of the Dading reign of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) . It is a 13 tiered, 25 metres (82 ft)), high cubic shaped brick tower. It has been renovated in subsequent periods. The tomb of

7107-422: The most revered Indian Buddhist shrines of Sanchi and Sarnath. The temple faces south and is aligned along a central axis starting from the entrance gate followed by several halls and courtyards in succession. The temple compound covers an area of 200 mu (13 hectares (32 acres)) and faces south. A stone paifang (archway), a three-door covered archway, has been recently built, 150 metres (490 ft) in front of

7210-404: The new Luoyang on the site of the existing city using a layout inspired by his father Emperor Wen of Sui 's work in newly rebuilt Chang'an. During the Tang dynasty , Luoyang was Dongdu ( 東都 ), the "Eastern Capital", and at its height had a population of around one million, second only to Chang'an, which, at the time, was the largest city in the world. During an interval in the Tang dynasty,

7313-407: The northern direction is represented by Duowen (Knowledge Preserver), carrying a Pagoda . In addition, there is a statue of Wei Tuo (a high ranking heavenly general and defender of Buddhist law) at the rear of the Maitreya statue. The Hall of Changing Ge, built in 1995, is a repository of ancient scriptures, which has more than ten types of Buddhist texts, including the Longzang Jing Dazong Jing ,

7416-510: The original gate. The stone horses at the front of the temple are in the Ming architectural style, representing the white horses which carried the scriptures and the Indian monks to China. Between the archway and gate lies a pool with fountains, crossed by three stone bridges. The two horses at the entrance gate facing each other are made of green stone dated to the Song dynasty (960–1279). Entering

7519-466: The queen Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty to bloom during winter and she became enraged that it did not obey her command. As a result, she ordered that peony flowers be banished from Xi'an to Luoyang. It is this banishment which is celebrated as the Peony Festival in Luoyang. Luoyang Luoyang ( simplified Chinese : 洛阳 ; traditional Chinese : 洛陽 ; pinyin : Luòyáng )

7622-592: The short Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period , Luoyang was the capital of the Later Liang (only for a few years before the court moved to Kaifeng ) and Later Tang dynasty. During the North Song dynasty , Luoyang was the 'Western Capital' and birthplace of Zhao Kuangyin, the founder of the Song dynasty. It served as a prominent cultural center, housing some of the most important philosophers. This prosperity

7725-546: The site by 495, and started the construction of the rock-cut Longmen Grottoes . More than 30,000 Buddhist statues from the time of this dynasty have been found in the caves. Many of these sculptures were two-faced. At the same time, the Shaolin Temple was also built by the Emperor to accommodate an Indian monk on the Mont Song right next to Luoyang City. The Yongning Temple ( 永宁寺 ), the tallest pagoda in China,

7828-432: The southwestern region of China, a very bright light in the sky, like a halo or aureola from the west which lit the whole space. The astrologers of his court predicted that a saint was born in that quarter of the world where he saw the bright halo light. It was also prophesied that the religion practised by the saintly person, would spread to China. This was recorded by the king in his royal register. This year happened to be

7931-569: The statues of the two eminent monks, She Moteng and Zhu Falan. They were buried inside the temple gate after they died here; the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, in front of their tombs, were once prominent sights of Luo Yang City. In the courtyard, large burners are kept for worshipers to light incense sticks, creating a pungent odour. In the Main hall and other halls where images are worshiped,

8034-500: The statues were made in ramie-cloth during the Yuan dynasty . The walls on both sides are adorned with carvings of ten thousand Buddhists. A statue of Jialan is installed facing north of the backdoor. In the Main Hall, at the altar, there are three statues, the central statue is that of Sakhyamuni Buddha flanked by statue of Manjushri and Samantabhadra . There is a very large bell weighing more than 1 tonne (a figure of 2.5 tonnes

8137-506: The temple today, plaques (in English and Chinese ) and signposts are seen, which guide the visitors and pilgrims through the halls. The plaques briefly explain the statues in each hall. The halls are discerned in the inscriptions on the plaques, include the 'Hall of Greetings', 'Hall of Six Founders’, 'Hall of jade Buddha', the 'Hall of Heavenly Kings', Hall of Mahavira and Hall of Changing Ge (repository of ancient scriptures). In addition,

8240-579: The temple, and the White Horse Temple was fully restored. The newly restored temple impressed the Cambodians, who were oblivious to the events that had gutted the temple. The shift of artefacts to this temple was announced as permanent by Premier Zhou Enlai when the original owners wanted the artefacts to be returned. In 1992, with the assistance of Thai and Chinese donors, the Hall of the Thai Buddha

8343-547: The temple, he translated many Buddhist scriptures that he had brought from India, skillfully rendering Sanskrit into Chinese. In 1175, an inscription on a stone tablet next to Qilun Pagoda—a 35 metres (115 ft) tall, multi-eaved square-based tower to the southeast of the White Horse Temple—stated that a fire occurred five decades previously and destroyed the temple and the Sakya Tathagata sarira stupa ,

8446-458: The temple. Cambodia was a communist ally of China and Prince Sihanouk was staying in a palatial residence in Beijing . He was permitted to visit parts of the country on a tour for propaganda purposes, to show to the outside world that all was normal within China. As an ardent Buddhist, Sihanouk expressed a wish to Premier Zhou Enlai to visit the White Horse Temple. This put the administration into

8549-480: The texts of Taoists were burnt and that of the Buddhists from the west survived. With this test, the Emperor was convinced of the Buddhist religion. He with all his entourage of ministers and kinsmen embraced Buddhism. He built several temples, which included 'Pai-masai', the White Horse Temple and three convents for nuns. Now that there are many contradictory versions of this story, most modern scholars accept it as

8652-536: The west to India in search of the religion practiced by Buddha. After travelling through several countries bordering India such as Getse and Yuchi (the Saka Tartars ), they reached ( Gandhara country) where they met two Buddhist monks ( Arhats ) named Kasyapa Pandita (a Brahmin from Central India ) and Bharana Pandita from South India. They accepted the invitation of the emissaries to go to China. They then proceeded to China on two white horses accompanied by

8755-675: The work. Residents of Luoyang typically speak a dialect of Zhongyuan Mandarin . Although Luoyang's dialect was a prestige dialect of spoken Chinese from the Warring States period of the Zhou until the Ming dynasty , it differs from the Beijing form of Mandarin which became the basis of the standard modern dialect . Asteroid (239200) 2006 MD13 is named after Luoyang. The city can be reached by highways, trains or planes. Long-distance buses are also an option although they generally tend to take longer. High-speed rail

8858-616: The year when Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal. The second vision happened at Luo Yang during the reign of Mingdi, the second emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty . In 60 CE, on an auspicious day, the Emperor had a vision (dream) of a saintly person of golden complexion with the Sun and the Moon shining behind his back came near his throne from the heavens and then circled his palace. This incident

8961-471: Was China's first Buddhist temple. Other versions mentioned in the book Indian Pandits in the Land of Snow by Sri Sarat Chandra give the following legendary versions: The legends related to this temple have direct link to the emergence and spread of Buddhism in China. Two visions are stated in this context. The first vision was witnessed by Chow Wang, the fifth ruler of the Tang dynasty . The Emperor saw, in

9064-520: Was a geographic region defined in the ancient Graeco-Roman world that encompassed the Pontic–Caspian steppe . It was inhabited by Scythians , an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people. The names Scythia and Scythica are themselves Latinisations of the Ancient Greek names Skuthia ( Σκυθια ) and Skuthikē ( Σκυθικη ), which were themselves derived from

9167-547: Was also built in Luoyang. The city reached a population of 600,000 at its height during the Northern Wei. The city was destroyed by the warlord Gao Huan , who captured the city and forced its population to move to his capital at Ye in 534. The old city was the site of numerous battles between Western Wei (and its successor Northern Zhou ) and Eastern Wei (and its successor Northern Qi ) between 538 and 575. When Emperor Yang of Sui took control in 604 AD he founded

9270-489: Was based on a report to the Emperor c.  125 , but was not compiled until the 5th century: There are differing accounts explaining how the temple was established. Yang Hsüan-chih says in the preface to his book, A Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Lo-yang (completed c . 547 CE), that, after his dream, Emperor Ming ordered that statues of the Buddha be erected at the [K'ai-]yang Gate (Opening to

9373-574: Was completed in 2008 when the Sanchi Stupa and the Sarnath Buddha statue were erected. On arrival of the two monks from India, they were housed in the temple. This temple was called the "White Horse Temple" ( simplified Chinese : 白马寺 ; traditional Chinese : 白馬寺 ; pinyin : Báimǎ sì ; Wade–Giles : Pai-ma ssu ), where 白 means "white", 马 ; 馬 means "horse", and 寺 means "shrine, temple, monastery". Notably,

9476-465: Was constructed slightly west of the old temple. The symbolic importance of the temple for the ancient cultural relations between China and India was demonstrated when the Prime Minister of India P.V. Narasimha Rao visited the temple in 1993. A decade later, in 2003, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also visited the temple. To enhance the Buddhist cultural links between India and China,

9579-434: Was cool and dry, which was a catalyst for the emergence of equestrian nomadic pastoralism in the northern Pontic region. The climate became warmer and wetter during the 5th century BC, which allowed the steppe nomads to move into the steppes proper. In these favourable climatic conditions grass grew abundantly on the treeless steppe and permitted the nomadic Scythians to rear large herds of cattle and horses. The country which

9682-542: Was correlated with the ancient recorded version and the events were interpreted to mean that the period prophesied in the past, of Buddhism coming to China, was now. History chronicler Fu Hi interpreted this vision as that of the divine person known as Buddha who was born in a place to the west of China in India. Emperor Mingdi forthwith selected emissaries named Taai Yin, Tain King, Wangtrun and others, in all 18 people, to go toward

9785-521: Was declared the capital of the Eastern Han dynasty on November 27 by Emperor Guangwu of Han . The city walls formed a rectangle 4 km south to north and 2.5 km west to east, with the Gu River, a tributary of the Luo River just outside the northern eastern walls. The rectangular Southern Palace and the Northern Palace were 3 km apart and connected by The Covered Way. In 26 AD,

9888-478: Was discovered and she was put in her tomb by her military officer son on 22 January, 815. This Sogdian woman's husband was surnamed He (和) and he was a Han Chinese man and the family was indicated to be multiethnic on the epitaph pillar. In Luoyang, the mixed raced sons of Nestorian Christian Sogdian women and Han Chinese men has many career paths available for them. Neither their mixed ethnicity nor their faith were barriers and they were able to become civil officials,

9991-560: Was donated in 1988 by a Chinese man who had settled in Burma . This elegantly sculpted and cherished statue has a precious stone embedded in its forehead. Before it was shifted to this temple in 1992, it had been stored in the Pilu pavilion. The first large hall in the temple complex is known as "The Hall of Heavenly Kings," where a statue of the Maitreya , known in China as the laughing Buddha,

10094-527: Was executed in close co-ordination with the Indian design experts selected for the project, and Architects Akshaya Jain & Kshitij Jain made several visits to the site in relation with their work as consultants. The Buddha statue was designed following the pattern of the 5th-century image of the Buddha kept at Sarnath , and it has been consecrated in the temple's central congressional hall. The president of India , Pratibha Patil , inaugurated this temple on May 27, 2010. The new temple incorporates features from

10197-520: Was made in the 6th century, was stolen and lost to the United States, now it is preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston . Peony Festival ( mudan huahui ) is an important flower festival, which is held in Luoyang every year on April 10–25 and which attracts large crowds to the city and the White Horse Temple. The legend linked to this festival is that peony flower did not follow the orders of

10300-570: Was mainly caused by Luoyang undergoing new developments and reconstruction during this period. During the Jurchen Jin dynasty , Luoyang was the "Middle Capital". Since the Yuan dynasty , Luoyang was no longer the capital of China in the rest of the ancient dynasties. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Luoyang was razed and rebuilt twice. Its walls were destroyed by peasant rebels in the late Ming period. The city walls were then rebuilt during

10403-620: Was on January 17, 1936) to 44.2 °C (112 °F). The Longmen Grottoes south of the city were listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in November 2000. Guanlin—a series of temples built in honor of Guan Yu , a hero of the Three Kingdoms period —is nearby. The White Horse Temple is located 12 km (7.5 mi) east of the modern town. The Luoyang Museum (established 1958) features ancient relics dating back to

10506-457: Was particularly happy with the Buddha image which had striking similarity to the one he had seen in his dream vision. At this time, the monks performed some miracles, which further strengthened the belief of the Emperor in Buddhism. However, some Taoist priests protested and wanted the Emperor to test the merits of both parties. The Emperor agreed and convened a meeting at the southern gate of

10609-452: Was restored to prominence when his son Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of the Wei dynasty , declared it his capital in 220 AD. The Jin dynasty , successor to Wei, was also established in Luoyang. At the height of Jin rule, Luoyang had a population of 600,000 and was probably the second largest city in the world after Rome . At the start of the 4th century, Luoyang was subjected to repeated attacks during

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