White Horse Temple

Overview

White Horse Temple is recognized as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism — the first Buddhist temple built in China, established in 68 CE when two Indian monks arrived carrying Buddhist scriptures on a white horse.

First Temple

In 68 CE, Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty dreamed of a golden figure flying from the west. He sent envoys to search for the source, and they returned with two Indian monks — Kashyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna — carrying Buddhist scriptures on a white horse.

The emperor built White Horse Temple to honor the monks and their white horse. The temple's name commemorates the animal that carried Buddhism to China, and it remains the symbolic center of Chinese Buddhism to this day.