Known as the Buddhist Holy Land, Caotang Temple lies about 30
kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Xian, in Caotangying Village of
Huxian County. Initially built in 401, the temple became a sacred place
where the Buddhist master, Kumarajiva (one of the four Buddhist
translators), translated Buddhist scriptures. The temple was a
thatch-roofed house, so it got the name of Caotang Temple, meaning Straw
Hut Temple.
Kumarajiva - A famous Buddhist master, became a monk at the age of
seven. Due to his intelligence and diligence, he mastered the sprit of
the Buddhism very well. He led 3,000 Buddhist followers to translate
sutras from Sanskrit to Chinese. Instead of metaphrase, he used free
translation, which made the scriptures easy to understand.
Features inside the temple:
Kumarajiva Dagoba - Precious Art
Baohui Buddhist Master Preaching Inscription - The real script of the famous calligraphy Liu Gongquan.
The Mist of Caotang Temple - One of the eight famous scenic
features in Shaanxi Province A well inside the temple occasionally emits
gusts of mist. The legend is that there is a piece of stone on one
side, halfway down the well, and whenever there is a snake lying on the
stone, the mist comes out, and travels over the countryside. The real
cause of the mist, however, might be geothermal vapor, which, once out
of the well, gets mixed with the smoke of incense over the temple. Later
an elegant pavilion has been built over the well and was named as 'the
Misty Well'.
Address: Huxian County, Xi’an |
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