Looking West to Chang'an, East to Luoyang: Tracing the Origins of Chinese Civilization (Part 11: Guanlin, Luoyang Museum, White Horse Temple)

📍 Luoyang · 👁 8780 reads · ❤️ 34 likes

——July 2020 Family Road Trip to the Northwest with Kids

D12 (16/7): Visited Guanlin, Luoyang Museum, and White Horse Temple. Stayed at New Swan International Grand Hotel.

Due to Luoyang's vehicle restriction policy based on license plate numbers, I scheduled our last day's outing at the suburban Longmen Grottoes to avoid travel limitations. We woke up after eight, had breakfast, and first went to Guanlin.

Guanlin is the burial site of Guan Yu's head, a famous general of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. It features a temple in the front and a tomb mound in the back, making it the only ancient architectural complex in China that combines a tomb, temple, and forest in one worship site. It is now a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" cannot fully recount the romantic affairs of the mortal world. Many events of the past and present are left to jokes and laughter. In the fifth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1666), the imperial court conferred the title "Loyal and Righteous, Divine and Martial, Guan the Saint Emperor's Forest" upon the tomb of Guan Yu in Luoyang, thus naming it "Guanlin." It became one of the two great sacred domains alongside "Konglin" (Confucius Forest) in Qufu, Shandong. In September of the fifteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1750), Emperor Qianlong visited Luoyang to pay homage at Guanlin. He personally inscribed the horizontal tablet "Sheng Ling Yu Shuo" (Splendid Spirit) and the couplet: "Supporting Han, manifesting divine merit, as lofty as Longmen; upholding principles, extending majestic spirit, flowing like the Yi River." These still hang in the main worship hall of Guanlin today.

For thousands of years, Guan Yu has been revered as the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness and a model of benevolence and courage, earning the respect and admiration of the people. His "loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and courage" embody the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, which is loyal to benevolence and righteousness.

Inside the Hall of Five Tigers, enshrined are the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Kingdom, whom my son, the Dragon Prince, loves most: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong. My son knows the legends and stories of these five generals very well. Before, the Dragon Prince's favorite Three Kingdoms character was Guan Yu, but later he came to like Zhao Yun and Ma Chao.

In front of the tombstone of Han Shouting Hou (Guan Yu's title), the Dragon Prince and I walked clockwise around Guan Yu's tomb as a sign of respect!

We happened to encounter an event organized by the Luoyang Public Security Bureau at Guanlin, offering consultation services to visitors. I inquired about the vehicle restriction issue, and they explained enthusiastically; there were also people filming on site.

Then we drove on to the Luoyang Museum. Located on the north side of the Sui-Tang City Site Park, the Luoyang Museum is a huge, brand-new building with an innovative design, grand scale, and very modern hardware facilities. Its architectural shape resembles a large standing tripod, symbolizing "the establishment of the capital in Luoyi," showcasing the profound historical and cultural heritage of Luoyang, a capital of thirteen dynasties.

The main exhibition of the Luoyang Museum is titled "Heluo Civilization." Through five major chapters—Prehistoric, Xia-Shang-Zhou, Han-Wei, Sui-Tang, and Five Dynasties-Northern Song—it presents a comprehensive and multi-angle display of the formation and evolution of Heluo culture. The exhibition is divided into six special topics: "Luoyang Treasure Hall," "Han-Tang Pottery Figurines Hall," "Tang Sancai Hall," "Palace Relics Hall," "Ancient Stone Carvings Hall," and "Calligraphy and Painting Hall."

Luoyang served as the capital for thirteen dynasties, making it one of the oldest, most dynastically diverse, and longest-serving historical and cultural capitals in China.

We began our visit along the timeline. Luoyang's cultural relics and historical sites are as vast as a sea and as bright as stars, comparable to the Shaanxi History Museum. The displayed fossils from the Paleolithic era, such as ivory and ostrich egg fossils, are treasures among treasures; Neolithic painted pottery, black pottery, bone needles, bone daggers, pottery backpacks, and pottery stoves all prove that tens of thousands of years ago, primitive slash-and-burn agriculture and cooking fires already existed on the land of Luoyang.

The Xia-Shang-Zhou section showcases the splendor of bronze culture across these three dynasties. These ancient bronze vessels, gleaming with metallic luster, seem to silently narrate the origins and glorious past of Chinese civilization behind these exquisite ancient artifacts.

The Han-Wei section of the second exhibition hall displays Luoyang as the most important political, economic, and cultural center of the Wei-Jin-Northern and Southern Dynasties period. It shows the evolution of architectural styles, funerary systems, and the rise of the idea of ascending to immortality, reflecting the evolution and transformation of Chinese civilization through culture, religion, population migration, and ethnic integration. A line from a Tang poem, "If my friends in Luoyang ask about me, tell them my heart is like a piece of ice in a jade vase," expresses much tenderness and worldly wisdom.

The Sui-Tang exhibition area focuses on the peak period of feudal Chinese society, presenting Sui-Tang Luoyang city, Emperor Yang of Sui and the Grand Canal, Empress Wu Zetian and the Divine Capital (Luoyang), the famous Silk Road and Sino-foreign exchanges, beautiful Tang Sancai (tri-colored glazed pottery), and exquisite handicraft and technological achievements of the Sui-Tang period.

The famous statesman Sima Guang, author of the "Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government" and Prime Minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, once said: "If you want to know the rise and fall of history through the ages, you only need to look at Luoyang city." Indeed, a groundbreaking ancient capital like Luoyang gives us a clear understanding of thousands of years of civilization history.

We walked and observed, using the artifacts to reconstruct history and understand the social, political, economic, cultural, and technological developments of the time. A tile, a structural component, a jade ornament, a clay pot, a sword, an ancient coin—each may be evidence of a fine building, a galloping chariot, a vivid life, a prosperous trade, or even the existence of a capital city site.

The Eastern Han stone "Bixie" (a mythical beast), hailed as the museum's "treasure of the collection," is a masterpiece among stone carvings from the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods, rare in China. It is about 190 cm tall, 297 cm long, 90 cm wide, and weighs about 8 tons. Carved from a single piece of bluestone, its craftsmanship is exceptionally exquisite, combining round carving, flat carving, and line engraving. Its shape is majestic and powerfully masculine.

The Tang Sancai female figurines, on the other hand, present from another angle the colorful cultural life of the Tang dynasty, depicting women with free postures, full faces, delicate skin, and slender hands. Based on female figures from Tang society, these include standing figurines, seated figurines, musician and dancer figurines, and figurines applying makeup at a mirror. The Tang Sancai female figurines feature various cosmetic methods such as forehead yellow, eyebrow ink, rouge, and lip balm, with novel and varied hairstyles. Their clothing is simple and bright, often with turned-down collars and tight-sleeved short jackets, baring the chest, and wearing skirts with waistbands, reflecting the fashionable and ever-changing lifestyle of women at that time, showcasing their distinctive and confident spirit—no wonder China's first and only female emperor emerged from the Tang dynasty. Tang Sancai is extremely colorful; the various shapes are radiant and lifelike, exuding a unique artistic charm.

Wandering through the rich historical relics of the Luoyang Museum, we felt as if we had traveled back in time to the Divine Capital of Luoyang a thousand years ago: the bustling East and West Markets with clamorous traffic and crowds, small vendors carrying goods along the streets, couriers riding horses through the alleys, children running past with paper kites in hand—it was like a scene from the famous painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," depicting the peaceful and prosperous Sui-Tang era.

At 3:00 PM, seeing that time was tight, we decided to skip the Tianzi Jialiu Museum (Emperor's Six Horses Museum) and head straight for the White Horse Temple.

A 40-minute drive covering 20 kilometers brought us to the main south gate of the White Horse Temple. However, the gate was tightly shut, and there were no visitors getting off nearby or parked cars. Could it be closed due to the pandemic? We were full of doubts.

Just as we were looking around, we suddenly saw some people moving inside the temple gate. "There are people inside!" the Dragon Prince shouted excitedly. Sure enough, a few scattered visitors were entering through the side door.

If the main gate is not open, they should put up a notice explaining. If we hadn't been reluctant to leave and stopped to observe carefully, we might have missed it. We drove back, found the parking lot, bought tickets, and entered through the west gate.

At the main entrance of the White Horse Temple, there are two stone horses on each side in a posture of carrying a heavy load. The temple's name comes from the legend that "white horses carried Buddhist scriptures and images" back from the "Western Paradise" after the pilgrimage to obtain the sutras.

The White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple established in China, founded in the 11th year of the Yongping reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 68), a history of 1,952 years. It is the first ancient temple in China, a world-famous monastery, and the first officially built temple after Buddhism was introduced to China, revered as the "Cradle of Buddhism" and the "Source of Shakyamuni's Teachings" in China. The temple houses a large collection of valuable Yuan Dynasty Buddhist statues, including Buddhas of the Three Ages, Two Heavenly Generals, and Eighteen Arhats.

Entering the mountain gate, along the central axis on the left and right sides are the tombs of the temple's two founding patriarchs, the Indian monks Zhu Falan and She Moteng. Thanks to the tireless efforts of these two Indian monks, Buddhist temples on Mount Wutai also flourished, all stemming from this.

For more than 1,900 years, the White Horse Temple has been filled with curling incense smoke and flourishing offerings. Bathed in the chanting of Buddhist sutras, illuminated by tall red candles, listening to the sound of wooden fish and bells, it removes worldly worries and cleanses the dust from the soul. Countless devotees have knelt in worship, chanted sutras, made vows, and prayed for blessings in the temple halls, sending off the cold winters and passing centuries to the sound of bells, stone chimes, and wooden fish.

Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam are recognized as the three major religions of the world today, with Buddhism having the longest history, the widest circulation in China, and the deepest influence. Just as world Buddhism originated in India, Chinese Buddhism began in Luoyang.

The White Horse Temple in Luoyang is the first Bodhimanda (place of enlightenment) where Buddhism took root and grew on the vast soil of China. The White Horse Temple is to China what the Bamboo Grove Monastery and Jetavana Monastery are to India. Buddhist disciples have always revered the White Horse Temple in Luoyang as the "Cradle" and "Source." "Cradle" means the courtyard of the patriarchs. "Source" means the origin of Shakyamuni's teachings (Buddhism). The ancient inscriptions and offering vessels preserved at the White Horse Temple still bear the words "Cradle" and "Source." Therefore, the White Horse Temple in Luoyang occupies a unique and irreplaceable historical position in Chinese Buddhist history.

Although Buddhism originated in India, it flourished in China. From China, it radiated outward to Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, and later spread to Europe and America, its influence growing ever stronger. The ancient buildings, Buddhist scriptures, statues, carving art, and painting art of the White Horse Temple are valuable tangible materials for exploring and studying ancient religious history, architectural history, cultural development history, and Sino-foreign cultural exchange history.

The period of Empress Wu Zetian was a golden age in the history of the White Horse Temple. The Empress ordered skilled artisans from across the country to extensively renovate the temple. At its peak, the temple's main gate almost reached the north bank of the Luo River, giving rise to the saying, "galloping a horse to close the mountain gate."

The Dragon Prince led his grandmother and me layer by layer deeper into the temple. We visited Maitreya Buddha in the Heavenly Kings Hall, Shakyamuni Buddha in the Great Buddha Hall, and the Jade Buddha in the Reclining Jade Buddha Hall, then arrived at the Mahavira Hall to prostrate and worship.

In front of the Welcoming Hall, a black meteorite offering tray shaped like a peach caught our attention. Inside the hall, on a Sumeru throne stood the Three Saints of the Western Pure Land: Amitabha Buddha in the center, flanked by Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.

Ascending dozens of steps further, we reached the "Cooling Terrace," the highest point of the temple. Here stands the temple's final main hall, the Vairochana Pavilion, housing Vairochana Buddha (also translated as Vairochana Buddha, Vairocana, Rocana, or Mahavairocana, the Great Sun Tathagata) along with Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas. Interestingly, the largest Buddha statue at Longmen Grottoes is also Vairochana (Luoshena) Buddha, said to have been modeled after Empress Wu Zetian's appearance. There seems to be some tacit coincidence, left for historians to explore.

The Dragon Prince took us to see the special exhibition "White Horse Temple: The First Ancient Temple in China" at the Shiyuan Exhibition Hall, where we learned in detail about the temple's past and present. Then he led us to view the newly built International Buddhist Architecture Zone, which now features a Burmese-style pagoda, a Thai-style vihara, and an Indian-style vihara (still under construction).

On the underground floor of the Burmese-style pagoda, a beautiful Luoyang embroidery exhibition was being held. Although I have visited Luoyang many times, I never knew that Luoyang's embroidery skills were so outstanding. Those exquisite works were truly astonishing.

Then the Dragon Prince took me to the tomb of Di Renjie, located east of the White Horse Temple. This famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, renowned for his brilliant case-solving, inspired great admiration. Crossing a corridor inscribed with "Bodhimanda," we arrived at the Qiyun Pagoda Courtyard, known as the site of China's first bhikkhuni (female monastic) temple.

The Qiyun Pagoda is 35 meters tall with 13 stories. It was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Dading reign of the Jin Dynasty (AD 1175), hence also called the "Jin Dynasty Pagoda," with a history of 845 years.

The most amazing thing about the Qiyun Pagoda is that if you stand about 20 meters south of the pagoda and clap your hands forcefully, you can hear clear croaking frog-like sounds coming from the pagoda body. The harder you clap, the clearer the echo, which is both interesting and magical.

Back at the parking lot, we returned to Luoyang and stopped along the way at a local Muslim restaurant called "Yuxiuzhai." Their beef and lamb dishes were flavorful and generously portioned. We ordered several dishes but couldn't finish them.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel because the Dragon Prince liked the place and extended our stay for another night. Their complimentary bottled water was doubled, resulting in four bottles.