Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t9.5

v1.c7.s3.t9.5

bid to protect it and this was the origin of the Asoka Temple. In later dynasties, the temple was rebuilt and repaired repeatedly, thus forming into the size we see today. In 1983, the temple was selected by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China as the National Key Temples of Buddhism in Han Nationality Regions. Asoka Temple is very famous since it is a remarkable dagoba. It covers an area of more than 60,000 sq m with more than 600 rooms and the area of structure is around more than 30,000 sq m. In 1987, there were over 70 monks living there. The temple treasures some very valuable historical relics such as the calligraphy by celebrities in various dynasties and in the Depository of Buddhist Sutras, there are the Qing Dynasty version of Longzang which totals 7,247 volumes and Qishaban Tibetan Tripitaka, both of which are rare collections. In 2006, Asoka Temple was listed by the State Council into the Sixth Group of the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.