Caotang Temple

Caotang Temple traces its origins to the former Xiaoyang Garden (逍遥园), founded by Emperor Yao Xing of Later Qin (384–417) in 401 in order to provide accommodation for renowned monk Kumārajīva.[3]

In 606, in the 2nd year of Daye period of Sui dynasty (581–618), Li Yuan, the then prefectural governor of Zhengzhou, visited and presented a Buddha statue to the temple.

After the establishment of the Tang Empire (618–907), Emperor Taizong came to worship the Buddha and wrote poems in the temple. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (685–762), master Feixi (飞锡) settled at Caotang Temple, where he taught Buddhism for many years. In the Yuanhe era of Emperor Xianzong (806–820), the emperor issued the decree rebuilding the temple. master Zongmi (宗密) was proposed as the abbot. Under his leadership, Caotang Temple was refurbished and redecorated and renamed "QiChan Temple" (栖禅寺). After the fall of Tang Empire in the early 10th century, the temple became dilapidated for wars.

In 966, in the 4th year of Qiande period of the Song dynasty (960–1276), the imperial court renovated the temple and renamed it "Qingliang Jianfu Temple" (清凉建福寺).

In 1193, in the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin dynasty (1115–1234), master Bianzheng (辨正) added lecture hall and it restored the original name.

In 1734, in the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), after the canonization of Kumārajīva's disciple Sengzhao (僧肇), the temple was renamed "Sheng'en Temple" (圣恩寺), which means royal graciousness. In the Tongzhi period (1862–1874), the temple was completely destroyed by wars. In 1881 in the Guangxu period (1875–1908), the recently established temple was washed away by the flood.

After the founding of the Communist State, a modern restoration of the entire temple complex was carried out in 1952. On August 6, 1956, Caotang Temple was listed among the first group of provincial level key cultural heritage by Shaanxi Provincial Government.

Caotang Temple had been designated as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by the State Council of China in 1983. In 1984, the temple reactivated its religious activities.

The Shanmen is 11-metre (36 ft) wide and 6.8-metre (22 ft) deep and only has one door. The hall is flush gable roof style (硬山顶). Under the eaves is a plaque with the Chinese characters "Caotang Temple" written by Zhao Puchu, the then Venerable Master of the Buddhist Association of China.

The Maitreya Buddha and Four Heavenly Kings' statues are enshrined in the Four Heavenly Kings Hall.

The Mahavira Hall enshrining the statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru. The two disciples' statues are placed in front of the statue of Sakyamuni, the older is called Kassapa Buddha and the middle-aged is called Ananda. A plaque with "Mahavira Hall" written by Zhao Puchu is hung on the architrave. The statues of Eighteen Arhats stand on both sides of the hall. The hall has a double-eave gable and hip roof (重檐歇山顶).

The Dabei Hall (Hall of Great Compassion) was built in the Qianlong period (1736–1796) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It is 18.21-metre (59.7 ft) wide and 9.5-metre (31 ft) deep. The hall is flush gable roof style. In the center of the eaves of the hall is a plaque "Xiaoyang Sanzang" (逍遥三藏) written by monk Miaokuo (妙括) in 1947.

The jade statue of Reclining Buddha enshrined in the hall, which was presented by a Burmese Fu Fengying (傅凤英) in 1994.

The Dharma Hall is 28-metre (92 ft) wide and 13-metre (43 ft) deep. In the meddle of the hall, a 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) high wood carving statue of Vairocana stands in the lotus throne with thousand petals, which has a little Buddha statue on each petal. the altar was carved with one thousand little statues of Buddha, which known as "Vairocana nestling among thousand Buddha" (千佛绕毗卢).

Occupying an area of 3,760-square-metre (40,500 sq ft), the Buddhist Texts Library has a double-eave gable and hip roof. The hall started to build in 2005 and completed in October 2014. Five gilded copper statues of Buddha are enshrined in the hall.[4]

The Memorial Hall of Kumārajīva was built by monks of Japanese Nichiren Buddhism. It is 24-metre (79 ft) wide and 16.5-metre (54 ft) deep. A 120-centimetre (47 in) high wood carving statue of Kumārajīva which sitting on a lotus throne is placed in the hall. At the back of his statue is a painting of flying apsaras which was painted by Japanese painter Mise (真美子). Several steles of poems written by Zhao Puchu and other Japanese poets are inlaid on the walls.

The Stupa of Kumārajīva was made of marble in the Later Qin (384–417). The octahedral-based stupa has twelve stories and is 2.46-metre (8 ft 1 in) high. It is composed of a base, a sumeru throne and a dense-eave body. The base has three layers with engraved patterns of clouds.[5][6]

The 2.6-metre (8 ft 6 in) high Ming dynasty (1368–1644) bell was cast in the Ming dynasty weighting 5,000-kilogram (11,000 lb) with its bore is 2.2-metre (7 ft 3 in). Outside of the bell cast over 14 Buddhist temples, 200 Buddhist monks and works of Buddhist inscriptions. At the bottom of the bell are engraved with patterns of various flying phoenixes, dragons, lions, Bagua, etc.

• Zhang Yuhuan (2012). "Cradle of Huayan: Caotang Temple in Hu County and Huayan Temple in Chang'an" 华严宗祖庭：户县草堂寺、长安华严寺. 《图解中国佛教建筑》 [Illustration of Buddhist Architecture in China] (in Chinese). Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-5154-0118-8.