Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t8: Daxingshan Temple
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t8
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Daxingshan Temple
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Daxingshan Temple (Daxingshan Vihar) is a wellknown Chinese Buddhist temple located at Nan Xiaozhai, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It was built between the Taishi and Taikang years of the reign of Emperor Wu, Jin Dynasty (265-289 CE) and as one of the oldest temples in Xi'an has lasted for more than 1,700 years. The temple was originally named Zunshan Temple and then renamed as Daxingshan Temple during the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty (581-604 CE), when Xi'an was expanded.
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Daxingshan Temple can be referred to as a memorable place in the history of cultural exchanges between India and China. In the seventh year of Kaihuang period Sui Dynasty (587 CE), a Buddhist scriptures Translation Institute was built in the temple and many famous translators of Buddhist scriptures from India such as Narendrayasas, Jnanagupta, Dharmagupta etc. resided and worked there. In the third year of Zhenguan Period, Tang Dynasty (629 CE), Master Prabhamitra from Nalanda Monastery of India presided over this institution. Between the fourth and eighth year of the Kaiyuan period (716-720 CE), Esoteric Buddhist monks, the so-called Three Great Beings in the Kaiyuan period of Tang Dynasty, known as Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra translated more than 500 historical classics of Esoteric Buddhism here. In the 15th year of the Tianbao period (756 CE), Tang Dynasty, Daxingshan Temple was presided over by Amoghavajra, an eminent monk who was the royal preceptor for three emperors of Tang Dynasty, Xuanzong, Suzong and Daizong. He had once launched Esoteric Buddhism rites for the dissemination of *dharma*. Moreover, there was the Amoghavajra Tripitaka Stone Tablet in the temple built during the first year of Jianzhong period of Tang Dynasty (780 CE).
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后世，大 型善寺多次被毁，也多次被重建。1945年，太虚法师等于寺内创设世界佛学苑巴利学院。1955年，政府拨款全面大修。1983年被国务院列为全国重点开放寺院之一。Famous Chan master Yi Xing also lived in the temple to study and research in astronomy, mathematics and shastras (classics), and made a tremendous contribution to the ancient astronomy of China. During his time, Daxingshan Temple was one of the three greatest translation institutes for Buddhist scriptures in Chang'an and also the birthplace of Chinese Buddhist Tantrism.
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In the later period, Daxingshan Temple was damaged and rebuilt several times. In 1945, some people led by Master Taixu established the World Buddhist Center for Pali Studies here. In 1955, the Chinese government allocated funds for a thorough reconstruction of the temple and listed it in 1983 into the category of the “National Important Temples Opened for the Public”.
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The main hall of the Daxingshan Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China