Xian - Xingjiao Temple

Shaanxi - Xian - Yan'an

The Xingjiao Temple is situated at the foot of Shaoling Plateau, about 20 kilometer south of Xian. This old Buddhist temple is particularly famous because it is the burial place of Xuanzang, the pilgrim who spent 15 years in India and brought Buddhist scriptures back to China. Emperor Tang Suzong (Li Heng, 711-762) wrote 2 characters "Xing Jiao" (Flourishing Teaching) on the stupa, thereafter the temple was called Xingjiao Temple.

The Xingjiao Temple exudes the atmosphere of antiquity. Landscaped with the Zhongnan Mountain and the Fanchuan River, the temple is in a very pleasant setting.

Palaces and pagodas inside the temple look very grand. The 5-room main hall of the temple is built of red pillars and green eaves. It contains a white jade statue of the Buddha which was a gift from Burma (the present Myanmar), a bronze statue of the Buddha, a porcelain Laughing Buddha, and other ancient sculptures.

The building on the east side of the temple is the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion, which contains thousands of scriptures of different dynasties. On the west side, there are 3 brick pagodas built respectively for Xuanzang and his 2 disciples. Xuanzang's remains are in the Xuanzang Dagoba, built of blue bricks on a square base. 2 smaller 3-story dagobas on each side of the Xuanzang Dagoba house the remains of Xuanzang's 2 disciples.