EXTRA: Three Ancient Temples in Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 26, 2012.)

Ximing Temple (西明寺) in Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市), is another place Konghai (空海)
stayed; it is newly-built in a new location, with these shiny Three Buddhas--Amitabha
(阿弥陀佛), Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), and the Medicine Buddha (药师佛)--on the main altar (坛).

October 17, 2010 - Numerous temples of significance--like Famen Temple--dot the Xi'an area but were not included, for one reason or another, on the list of 142 Key Buddhist Temples in the Han Area. The afternoon I visited Famen, and over the next couple of days, I visited three of these.

EXTRA: Famen Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 19, 2012.)

The "True Relic Pagoda" (圣真身宝塔) at Famen Temple (法门寺) in Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西,
西安市), collapsed in 1981, and relics (舍利子), including a finger bone of the Buddha
(佛), were found there in 1987. The relic is now on display in a modern "pagoda" nearby.

October 17, 2010 - On August 4, 1981, disaster struck Famen Temple.

No. 42: Xiangji Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 12, 2012.)

This pagoda (塔) holds the remains of Shandao (善导), a patriarch (祖) of the
Pure Land Sect (淨土宗), at Xiangji Temple (香积寺), Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市).

October 16, 2010 - In Xi'an near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, I boarded a local bus for Xiangji Temple. A major north-south road runs a little over a half-kilometer west of the temple; when the bus dropped me along that road, I walked through sleepy Xiangji Village towards the grounds.

No. 41: Caotang Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 5, 2012.)

This pavilion (阁) holds a relic (舍利子) said to be the tongue of Kumarajiva
(鸠摩罗什) at Caotang Temple (草堂寺), Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市).

October 15, 2010 - After the grueling climb down from Jingye Temple, I began walking the two kilometers down to where the bus had dropped me and the "black taxis" were waiting. Before I had gone far, another car came by and whisked me to the intersection for a reasonable price.

The drivers there offered to take me onward to Caotang Temple for only 30 renminbi--not a bad price, but more than the 2 renminbi I paid for the bus that arrived shortly. It dropped me a pleasant 15-minute walk from the gate, and voila! I arrived at Caotang ("Straw Hut") Temple before 3 p.m.

No. 40: Jingye Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 29, 2012.)

Fragment of a panel featuring a Buddha (佛), now on the small altar (坛) in
the Guest Hall (客堂) at Jingye Temple (净业寺), Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市).

October 15, 2010 - The next day I visited Jingye Temple, one of the most remote temples I had seen. After a long bus ride, I got out at a road intersection where a "black taxi" took me up the narrow river valley for a reasonable price, the driver assuring me that the temple was at the bottom of the mountain.

EXTRA: Huayan Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 22, 2012.)

These two pagodas (塔) are all that remain of the five that were dedicated to the first five patriarchs (祖)
of the Avatamsaka or Huayan Sect (华严宗) at Huayan Temple (华严寺) south of Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市).

October 14, 2010 - On my way back to central Xi'an from semi-remote Xingjiao Temple, I left the bus at what I thought was the best place to walk to the remains of a very important temple. Alas, Google Maps had the place completely wrong! With the help of a kind policeman, and another short bus ride, I found what is left of the once-important Huayan Temple.

No. 39: Xingjiao Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 15, 2012.)

Interior of a hall (殿) dedicted to Xuanzang (玄奘) at Xingjiao Temple (兴教寺), Xi'an, Shaanxi
(陕西, 西安市). The hall includes jade panels depicting his life, and shows him life-sized and
flanked by his chief disciples Kuiji (窥基) and Yuance (the Korean monk Woncheuk=圆测).

October 14, 2010 - Two-and-a-half months after leaving Jiangsu--and almost exactly two years ago as I write this--I arrived in the ancient capital of Xi'an for the second time as a pilgrim. This time, I would be traveling well beyond the city walls to more remote--and more interesting--temples.

My first stop was Xingjiao Temple, about 20 kilometers southeast of the walled city. Located on a small plateau, at the time of my October, 2010, visit, the overwhelming impression was of corn drying everywhere.

Trip 6: Xi'an 2 (Outlying Areas) and Ningxia (October 13-20, 2010)

This is a record of my sixth trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.

No. 17: Daci'en Temple,Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 23, 2012.)

The Great Goose Pagoda (大雁塔) at Daci'en Temple (大慈恩寺), Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市). It
was built to hold items brought back from ancient India (天竺) by the monk Xuanzang (玄奘).

September 1, 2009 - After a great vegetarian lunch at Daxingshan Temple, my wife Lila and I took local buses to Daci'en, the Temple of Great Compassion. It's the home of Xi'an's Number One symbol, the Dayan Ta or "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda."

No. 16: Daxingshan Temple,Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 16, 2012.)

An unusual reclining Maitreya (弥勒) in the Heavenly Kings' (天王) Hall (殿) at Daxingshan
Temple (大兴善寺) in Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市). He is usually seen sitting.

September 1, 2009 - The next morning, our first goal was Daxingshan Si (Great Propagation of Goodness Temple), not far outside Xi'an's south gate.

No. 15: Wolong Temple,Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 9, 2012.)

When we went to Wolong Temple (卧龙寺) in Xi'an, Shaanxi(陕西, 西安市),
we discovered that all of the figures in the main hall (大雄宝殿),
including the 24 Deva Kings (天王), were new and still being finished.

August 31, 2009 - Leaving Guangren Temple, my wife and I took a couple of local buses to the only other Key Temple located inside Xi'an's city walls.

Wolong Temple is a short walk from Xi'an's main South Gate: east down the "Academy Alley" and past the Stele Forest Museum, near the Wenchang Gate.

No. 14: Guangren Temple,Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 2, 2012.)

My first temple in Xi'an, Shaanxi (陕西, 西安市), was Guangren Temple
(广仁寺), built in Tibetan style, with these stupas out front.

August 31, 2009 - Nestled inside the northwest corner of the ancient city walls of Xi'an is the little-visited Guangren Si (The Temple for Spreading Benevolence). It's a small but full-blown Tibetan-style temple, with maroon walls, white stupas, prayer wheels, multicolored pennants flapping in the wind, and lamas in typical maroon robes with yellow undergarments.

EXTRA: The Terracotta Warriors,Xi'an, Shaanxi

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 26, 2012.)

Before visiting any temples in Xi'an, Shaanxi(陕西, 西安市), we
visited the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑) site outside of the city.

August 30, 2009 - Three days after my return from Shanghai, I arrived in the fabled ancient capital of Xi'an, this time with my wife in tow.

The plan was to see four of Xi'an's eight temples on my list, all of them inside or very near the city walls (and thus accessible by local buses). But at my wife's insistence, we started our trip far from the walls themselves--about 40 kilometers outside, in fact, in Lintong County at the site of the breathtaking Terracotta Warriors.

Trip 2: Xi'an 1(Near the city walls)(August 28-September 2, 2009)

This is a record of my second trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.