Society

Baima Temple aims to become China's biggest temple

By Song Wei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-17 16:48

Baima Temple (White Horse Temple) in central China’s Luoyang city is planning to become the biggest temple in China and an important religious center for the world’s Buddhism by expanding 6.5 times larger from the current 13.3 hectares, a local newspaper reported Friday.

File photo shows an Indian worker talks with a Chinese worker in front of a newly-built Indian-style temple hall at the Baima Temple in Luoyang, Central China's Henan province on Oct 19, 2008. [Photo/Xinhua]

The expansion plan includes the construction of different styles of gardens, such as Sri Lankan style, Japanese style, Korean style and Nepali style.

Four months ago, an Indian-style garden built by India for $4 million finished construction, which has become a popular spot at Baima Temple.

The new Indian-style garden celebrates the spirit of Baima Si, which was built by the Eastern Han Emperor Ming Di in 64 AD to honor two Indian monks. The garden resembles the most revered of Buddhist shrines in India - at Sanchi and Sarnath, built in 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.

It is at Baima Si that Buddhist sutras were translated into Chinese. From here, Buddhism spread across China and to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Buddhism traveled from India to Tibet and Southeast Asia much later.

As the first government-funded Buddhist temple, with a 2,000-year history, Baima Si has had a significant role in spreading Buddhism, said a man surnamed Chang at the Buddhism Culture Study Center of Baima Si.