The White Horse Temple

The White Horse Temple is located on the side of National Highway 310 in Baima Temple Town, Chanhe Hui District, Luoyang City, Henan Province. It is the birthplace of Buddhism in China, established in the 11th year of Yongping during the Eastern Han Dynasty (68 AD). It is the first government-built monastery after the introduction of Buddhism into China, and is considered the 'origin of Buddhism' and 'ancestral court' for China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Buddhist followers in Europe and America. The White Horse Temple spread Buddhism to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia, popularizing Buddhism across Asia. Later, it entered Europe and America, becoming a sacred site for Buddhist followers worldwide. As a result, since the end of the 20th century, Japan has donated funds to renovate the White Horse Temple's bell tower and erect a statue of Kūkai; governments of Thailand, India, and Myanmar have successively funded the construction of Buddhist halls at the White Horse Temple, making it the only international monastery in the world with Buddhist halls in the styles of China, India, Myanmar, and Thailand. Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia have come here to receive precepts, and the United States, Germany, and Canada have all attended the abbot's promotion ceremony at the temple. As the monastery with the highest degree of internationalization, the White Horse Temple truly deserves the title of 'the First Temple under Heaven'. The White Horse Temple's collection of cultural relics mainly includes two relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, ancient Chinese Buddhas, and Yuan Dynasty statues of the Eighteen Arhats. The annual 'Temple Bell Ringing' event at the White Horse Temple is a special symbol of human blessings, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, and it attracts many foreign tourists to participate, being selected as one of the 'Top Eight Scenic Spots of Luoyang'. On March 4, 1961, the White Horse Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 1983, the White Horse Temple was designated by the State Council as a key monastery for Han Chinese Buddhism. In January 2001, the Luoyang White Horse Temple was named by the National Tourism Administration as one of the first batch of AAAA-level tourist attractions.