Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t7: Jianchu Temple
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t7
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Jianchu Temple
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Jianchu Temple (Jianchu Vihar) is one of the most time-honoured temples in China. Dabao'en Temple is just its predecessor. In 247 CE, Kangsenghui, a monk from the Western Regions (a Han Dynasty term for the area west of Yumenguan including what is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia) came to Jianye (now Nanjing) to promote Buddhism and disseminate *dharma*. He successfully convinced Sun Quan, the King of Wu kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period, to believe in Buddhism and then the King issued an order to establish a temple for him. Since it was the first Buddhist temple built in Jianye, it was originally called Jianchu Temple. The location of the temple is called Fotuoli where Kangsenghui once lived. Later, Jianchu Temple was renamed several times, changing from Changgan Temple in the Southern Dynasty, Tianxi Temple in Song Dynasty to Dabao'en Temple in Ming Dynasty.
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(Xue Keqiao)