White Horse Temple

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan.-Dec.
07:30-17:30
50 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
07:30-17:30
50 Address & Phone about 12 kilometers east from old Luoyang City Transportation Take Bus NO.56. Notes

Known as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism, White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple built after the introduction of Buddhism in Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD-220AD), housing a large number of Buddhist statues and scriptures.

Located about 12 kilometers east from the old Luoyang, the White Horse Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples and is regarded as the No.1 Ancient Temple of China. It is the first Buddhist temple built after the introduction of Buddhism in Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD-220AD), housing a large number of Buddhist statues and scriptures.

The cradle of Chinese Buddhism

With a history of over 1,900 years, the White Horse Temple was first built in 68 AD of Eastern Han Dynasty. According to the historical records, the Emperor Mingdi Li Zhuang dreamed of a golden figure flying over his palace in the years of 64AD. Later, he ordered several envoys go to India to learn more Buddhism. Three years later, two eminent Indian Buddhist monks, She Moteng and Zhu Falan, came to China with a white horse carrying Buddhist sutras and Buddhist figures on its back. In order to memorize the white horse, a temple was built and named “White Horse Temple”. This was the first time that Buddhism appeared in China, so the temple is also known as the Cradle of Buddhism in China. The White Horse Temple reached it peak when Wu Zetian (the only female emperor in Chinese history) took reign.

Main attractions

Covering an area of 34,000 square meters, the temple faces south with a structure of axis symmetry. The main attractions stand along the axle wire, including the gate, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Hall of Great Buddha, Hall of Mahavira, Hall of Guidance, Cool and Clear Terrace. On the both sides, there are drum tower, bell tower, abstinence hall, meditation room and so on.

Hall of Heavenly Kings

Originally built in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) and renovated both in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the hall is the first hall inside the temple. In either side of the hall, stand the four statues representing four majestic Heavenly Kings, hence the name Hall of Heavenly Kings. They hold different implements in their hands, symbolizing favorable weather and good harvest. A laughing Buddha sits in the middle of the hall holding a chaplet in the right hand and a sack in the left hand.

Hall of the Great Buddha

Behind the Hall of Heavenly Kings is the Great Buddha Hall with a length of 22.6 meters and a width of 16.3 meters. A statue of the Buddhist patriarch Sakyamuni stands in the middle of the hall for people to make offerings to. The figure on the left side is Jia Ye, one of ten great disciples of Sakyamuni, and one of the other side is Ahnan, Sakyamuni’s cousin and his faithful disciple. The three figures are flanked by Manjusri and Samantabhadra. One holds a sutra in his hand is Manjusri, representing wisdom, the other one is Samantabhadra, symbolizing welldoing. The hall is the main structure in the temple with unique and exquisite skills of Ming Dynasty.

Hall of Mahavira

It is the largest hall in the temple, enshrining and worshiping Buddhas of Three Periods, namely Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru. They are guided with eighteen arhats on both sides, which are made of silk, hemp and dirt. The colors on these statues are still as fresh today as when they were first produced during the Yuan Dynasty. The statues in Hall of Mahavira are priceless treasures in China.

Hall of Guidance

Hall of Guidance is the smallest one in the temple with a length of 14 meters and a depth of 10.7 meters. The originally hall was destroyed in burning and rebuilt in the ninth year (1883) of Guang Xu Period of Qing Dynasty. In the middle of the hall stands Amitabha, who is in charge of the Western Paradise. The words “Amitabha Buddha”, means guiding someone to the paradise after his death. So Amitabha is also called the Buddha of Guidance. The one with a battle in hand is Arya Avalokiteshvara and the one holding pearls is Bodhisattva of Great Power.

Qiyun Pagoda

About 250 east from the temple, there is a tiered brick pagoda named Qiyun Pagoda, which is the affiliated building of the White Horse Temple. It has a side length of 7.8 meter and 13 storeys with 25 meters tall. The original pagoda was made of wood and burned in late Song Dynasty (960-1279). The present one was built in 1175 with Tang style. It is the earliest example of ancient architecture in Luoyang and also one of the most precious Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234) structures in the central plains of China.

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