White Horse Temple

The first Buddhist temple in China, founded 68 CE. The 'cradle of Buddhism in China'.

White Horse Temple was founded in 68 CE during the Eastern Han dynasty, when Emperor Ming dispatched envoys to India to bring Buddhist scriptures. The two Indian monks Kashyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna who returned with the envoys lodged here; the temple takes its name from the white horses that carried the scriptures. The current buildings are mostly Ming and Qing reconstructions. The international hall complex, built in the 2010s, contains pavilions in Indian, Burmese and Thai Buddhist styles donated by those countries.