White Horse Temple
Having a history of almost 2,000 years, the White Horse Temple is considered "China's Earliest Temple." It is located in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang and was the first government-established temple after Buddhism was spread to China.
In the courtyard within the temple's main gates are two tombs, one on the east side and one on the west, each surrounded by a dense wood of cypress. These are the famous "Two Monks' Tombs." In the two tombs sleep the two eminent monks who brought Buddhism to China in the Han Dynasty.
To the east of the main gate stands the famous Qiyun Pagoda. It is a square, single-roof brick pagoda with 13 stories of densely arrayed eaves and stands 35 m high. It was first built to house relics of Sakyamuni Tathagata. It was rebuilt in 1175 in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234).
The temple is so named to commemorate the white horse that carried Buddhist scriptures to Luoyang, then eastern capital of the Han Dynasty.
