China History of Buddhism

according traditional accounts, buddhism introduced in china during han dynasty (206 bc-220 ad) after emperor dreamed of flying golden man thought buddha. although archaeological record confirms buddhism introduced sometime during han dynasty, did not flourish in china until 6 dynasties period (220-589 ad).

the year 67 ad saw buddhism s official introduction china coming of 2 monks moton , chufarlan. in 68 ad, under imperial patronage, established white horse temple (白馬寺), still exists today, close imperial capital @ luoyang. end of 2nd century, prosperous community had settled @ pengcheng (modern xuzhou, jiangsu).

the first known mahāyāna scriptural texts translations chinese kushan monk lokakṣema in luoyang, between 178 , 189 ad. of earliest known buddhist artifacts found in china small statues on money trees , dated c. 200 ad, in typical gandhāran drawing style: imported images accompanying newly arrived doctrine came gandhāra suggested such gandhāra characteristics on money tree buddha high uṣniṣa, vertical arrangement of hair, moustache, symmetrically looped robe , parallel incisions folds of arms.

maitreya buddha, northern wei, 443 ad.

in period between 460-525 ad during northern wei dynasty, chinese constructed yungang grottoes, , s outstanding example of chinese stone carvings 5th , 6th centuries. site composed of 252 grottoes more 51,000 buddha statues , statuettes.

another famous buddhism grottoes longmen grottoes started northern wei dynasty in 493 ad. there many 100,000 statues within 1,400 caves, ranging 1 inch (25 mm) 57 feet (17 m) in height. area contains 2,500 stelae , inscriptions, whence name forest of ancient stelae , on sixty buddhist pagodas.

buddhism flourished during beginning of tang dynasty (618–907). dynasty characterized strong openness foreign influences , renewed exchanges indian culture due numerous travels of chinese buddhist monks india 4th 11th centuries. tang capital of chang (today s xi an) became important center buddhist thought. there buddhism spread korea, , japanese embassies of kentoshi helped gain footholds in japan.

however, foreign influences came negatively perceived towards end of tang dynasty. in year 845, tang emperor wuzong outlawed foreign religions including christian nestorianism, zoroastrianism, , buddhism in order support indigenous taoism. throughout territory, confiscated buddhist possessions, destroyed monasteries , temples, , executed buddhist monks, ending buddhism s cultural , intellectual dominance.

however, hundred years after great anti-buddhist persecution, buddhism revived during song dynasty (1127–1279).

pure land , chan buddhism, however, continued prosper centuries, latter giving rise japanese zen. in china, chan flourished particularly under song dynasty (1127–1279), when monasteries great centers of culture , learning.

in last 2 thousand years, buddhist have built 4 sacred mountains of buddhism, mount wutai, mount emei, mount jiuhua, mount putuo.

today, china boasts 1 of richest collections of buddhist arts , heritages in world. unesco world heritage sites such mogao caves near dunhuang in gansu province, longmen grottoes near luoyang in henan province, yungang grottoes near datong in shanxi province, , dazu rock carvings near chongqing among important , renowned buddhist sculptural sites. leshan giant buddha, carved out of hillside in 8th century during tang dynasty , looking down on confluence of 3 rivers, still largest stone buddha statue in world.