White Horse Temple is considered the first Buddhist temple established in China in 68 AD. It is located just outside the ancient Eastern Han capital of Luoyang. Though small compared to other Chinese temples, it is seen as the "cradle of Chinese Buddhism". The temple contains several halls and buildings distributed from north to south, including the Five Major Protectors Hall, Hall of Heavenly Kings, and Great Buddha Hall. The Daxiong Great Hall houses statues from the Yuan Dynasty that are vivid and unique treasures of Buddhist art. The temple complex also includes replicas of Buddha halls from countries like India, Myanmar and Thailand.
2. About White Horse Temple
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. Today the site is located just outside the walls of the ancient
Eastern Han capital, some 12–13 km east of modern Luoyang in Henan Province.
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 order to commemorate the white horses that carried the sutras from India, the
temple was named the White Horse Temple.
Distributed from north to south along the temple are such buildings as the Five Major
Protectors Hall, The Hall of Heavenly Kings, Great Buddha Hall, Daxiong Great
Hall, The Reception Hall, Qingliang Platform and Pilu Pavilion.
The Daxiong Great Hall is the most magnificent in scale and the most aesthetically
splendid. Sanshi Buddha, Ertian General and Eighteen Disciples of Buddha are all
Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) works. Vivid in posture and unique in gesture, they are
truly treasures of Buddhist art.
24. In the Great Buddha Hall, at the altar, there are three
statues, the central statue is that of Shakhyamuni Buddha
flanked by statue of Manjushri and Samantabhadra.
大佛殿祭壇上有三尊佛像,中央的雕像是釋迦牟
尼佛,兩側是文殊菩薩和普賢菩薩塑像。
25.
26. There is a very large bell weighing
more than 1 ton, installed during the
reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming
Dynasty, near the altar, which is still
struck in time during the chanting of
prayers by the monks.
祭壇旁邊大鐘重量超過 1 噸,明代嘉
靖年間裝設,僧人誦經祈福過程中仌
然按時敲打。
31. There are three Buddha statues. The central image is of the Sakyamuni Buddha. This
statue is flanked on the left by the Bhavisyajya guru and on the right by Amitabha;
both these in turn are flanked by two heavenly generals named Weituo and Weili. , All
the statues were made in ramie-cloth during the Yuan Dynasty
三尊主要佛像,中間是釋迦牟尼佛,左側是藥師佛,右側是阿彌陀佛;最外側兩尊天將
是韋陀和韋力。所有雕像都是元朝的夾紵乾漆造像。
32.
33. Statues of 18 arhats adorn the side of
the hall. All the statues were made in
ramie-cloth during the Yuan Dynasty.
18羅漢在大廳的兩側。所有雕像是元
朝的夾紵乾漆造像。
45. 'Cool and Clear Terrace' known as
the 'Qingliang Platform'
清涼台
Pilu pavilion inside the 'Qingliang
Platform„, is the last major hall in
the temple complex.
毘盧閣位於清涼台內,是寺內最後
一重大殿
49. Both sides of the Pilu Pavilion are wooden terra niches. The enshrined
statues are made of incense ash. A total of 5,050 statue.
毘盧閣兩側,是木雕千佛壁龕,所供奉佛像皆是以香灰為原料塑造而成。
共計5,050尊。
54. The Great Stupa at Sanchi 桑奇大塔
The Indian-style Buddha hall in the White Horse Temple, visitors
can see Buddha halls with different styles of foreign countries.
白馬寺內印度風格佛殿,參觀者可以看到外國異國風味的佛廳。
55.
56.
57. The archway of “Great Stupa at
Sanchi” (The Indian-style
Buddha Temple) were full
carved with ornamentation
桑奇大塔 (印度佛殿) 的牌樓雕
滿紋飾