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Top 10 Facts about White Horse Temple, Luoyang                                    

White horse temple is a Buddhist temple located in Luoyang, Henan. The temple was first initiated in 68AD under the sponsorship of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty.

The temple is considered the cradle Chinese of Buddhism; despite its small side, it stands out compared to other temples in China.

Its surrounded by landmarks such as mount Manghan to the south and the Lucoche river. The temple was constructed during the dynasty of Ming and Qing dynasties.

It was renovated, along with its large complex in the 1950s and again in 1973 after the cultural revolution. Here are the top 10 Facts about White Horse Temple, Luoyang.

1. The temple was built in honor of two Indians

Pavilion_of_the_White_Horse_Temple,_Luoyang,_Henan photo by Gary Todd —

The white horse temple was Emperor Ming’s creation, it’s said that the king had a dream in which he saw a tall golden man, and the top of his head was glowing.

Upon inquiry he found the figure to be Buddha and sent monks on a quest to search for doctrines associating with Buddha, sending his envoys to the western regions.

The monks returned after three years and brought with them two Indian monks who arrived with statues and scriptures of Buddhism.

The sutras were received by the emperor and housed in the temple built outside the wall of Luoyang.

The emperor built the white horse temple honoring the two Indian monks and the white horse that brought them to China with Buddhist scriptures.

2. The temple has a laughing Buddha statue at its heavenly king hall

There is a statue of a laughing Buddha statue at the white horse temple known as Maitreya, its worshiped in the hall of heavenly kings.

The figure represents both contentment and abundance in Chinese culture. Legend has it that in the dynasties between 907 to 960, the Buddha incarnated as a monk begging his way along Zhejiang province carrying a bag and a khakkara earning the name Budai.

People built a statue of Maitreya based on his image and it’s believed that whoever catches a glimpse of his sight, the statue will generate buoyancy.

3. There is a foreign temple complex at the white horse temple

Indian-style_Buddhist_Temple_in_Luoyang,_China photo by Kshitij1008 —

Situated to the west of the main entrance are foreign temples such as an Indian temple, a Thai temple, and a Burmese temple.

A Buddha shrine that is a close replica of the Sanchi Stupa, which is an Indian shrine was finished in 2008. its presence in the temple is meant to signify how China’s first temple was inspired by Buddhists from India

An image from India was brought from India and sanctified in the foreign temple complex, by Indian Buddhist tradition.

4 . The temple has a serene and clear terrace

White_Horse_Temple_03 photo by Gary Todd —

The beautiful peaceful terrace at the white horse temple is known as Qingliang Terrace and it’s located behind the main hall. It’s believed to be the place used by the two Indian monks when they were translating the Buddhist sutra.

The terrace has four sides which are filled with green bricks. The central building of the terrace is known as Vairocana Pavilion and it was constructed during the Han dynasty.

5. The temple is where the peaceful Qiyun Pagoda stands.

2011-_White_Horse_Temple_Pagoda,_Jin_Dynasty photo by Gary Todd —

The pagoda was built in the 15^th century during the Dading reign of the  Jin dynasty the pagoda is a relic of the 12^th century.

The pagoda is located 200 meters southeast of the white horse temple. Qiyun Pagoda is 25 meters in height with 13 stones and 7.8, meters on each side of the bottom.

The pagoda is also called cloud reaching pagoda displaying a unique sight of architecture. It has a cubic-shaped style of architecture.

The eaves are created with exquisite, small overlapping bricks. If one claps their hands 20 meters away from the pagoda, the echo sent back mimics that of the croaking of frogs.

6. The is a hall of heavenly kings on the white horse temple

The temple complex’s first hall is called the hall of heavenly kings and it encloses the statue of the laughing Buddha, the main deity presented at the front of the hall.

The statue is flanked on the eastern side and western sides by four heavenly kings, each representing one-fourth of the universe. The eastern side is overseen by Chigua (guardian of the State) carrying a Pipa, and the western side is ruled by Guangmu (Sharp-seer) 

7. The great Buddha hall is where Buddhist ceremonies are held

The walls of this hall measure five bays in width and four bays in depth. It is double roofed and has four Chinese characters meaning Buddha shines over the earth in the center.

There is a massive bell weighing 2500kilograms and hangs in the hall, the bell is an ancient relic from the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming dynasty.

The interesting thing about the bell is that once it rings, its vibration causes the bell tower in Luoyang old town to respond.

8. The temple has undergone many repairs

The appearance of the temple has shifted and changed over the years in comparison with the original structure.

What is viewed today was restored during the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. The temple suffered several damages in the long term war at the hands of warlords and fires, in the first year of Yong ‘an in the Western Jin dynasty.

It wasn’t until the 1^st year of the reign of emperor Wuzhou of the Tang dynasty that the temple experienced reestablishment.

9. The white horse temple has a hall of guidance

The main Buddha worshiped at this hall is Amitabh Buddha, it’s believed he leads his devotees to their western paradise after their deaths. The statue of the Buddha is flanked by the Bodhisattva of moonlight and the goddess of mercy.

10. There is a peony festival celebrated at the temple every year

White_Horse_Temple,_Luoyang,_Henan,_China_-_panorama photo by Randy Rambo —

There is a significant flower festival held at the temple each year on April 10–25, which magnets large crowds to the white horse temple and Luoyang city.

Legend has it that the festival is that of a peony flower that refused to bloom during the winter, against the commands of queen Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty.

She ordered that peony flowers be banished from Xian to Luoyang. The celebration of the festivals honors the banishment of peony flowers.