Gantong monastery, (near) Yongchang, Gansu, CN

Raw data

Gantong Monastery at Liangzhou. Established 561 AD as Ruixiangsi (Monastery of the Auspicious Image) (Galambos n.d.:70); Active in 968 (Galambos n.d.:73)
Names: since 609 Gantongsi (Monastery of the Spiritual Response) (Galambos n.d.:69); since mid 700s (c. 759) Shengrongsi (Monastery of Holy Countenance) (Galambos n.d.:77); Kan-t'ung-ssu in Liang-chou (Galambos n.d.:68); Yue-Shan Kan-t'ung-ssu (Galambos n.d.:68).
Location: situated in Yongchang country (Galambos n.d.:68); built on Mount Yugu (Galambos n.d.:71)

followed the Liu Sahe tradition (Galambos n.d.:74)

  • Situated on Tiger Head Mountain in Yonchang county - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • some 20 li [4 miles?] NW of Yonchang - Dunnell (1996:97)

Input by: tmciolek, Nov 19, 2009

“Shengrongsi which was also called Gantongsi, i.e. Gantong Monastery” - books.google.com/books?isbn=9004155171
Input by: tmciolek, Mar 01, 2013

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 01 Mar 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Gantong monastery, CN.

General location of the Gantong monastery, CN.
Lat 38.32088 Long 101.92656
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.32088+101.92656+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Gantong%20monastery,%20CN)&ll=38.32088,101.92656&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Gantong monastery - Galambos n.d.

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • China:Gansu Sheng

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • established 561 AD as Ruixiangsi (Monastery of the Auspicious Image) (Galambos n.d.:70)
  • since 609 Gantongsi (Monastery of the Spiritual Response) (Galambos n.d.:69)
  • since c. 759 Shengrongsi (Monastery of Holy Countenance) (Galambos n.d.:77)
  • Kan-t'ung-ssu in Liang-chou (Galambos n.d.:68)
  • Yue-Shan Kan-t'ung-ssu (Galambos n.d.:68)
  • Gantong si - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • Gantong daochang - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • in the 18th c. called Houda si (Rear Great Temple) - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • Shengrong si - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • Shengrongsi - books.google.com/books?isbn=9004155171
  • Shengrong si 圣容寺 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_National_Historical_and_Cultural_Sites_(Gansu)
  • Holy Face Monastery - http://translate.google.com/?hl=en#zh-CN/en/圣容寺

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx. Lat 38.32088 Long 101.92656 - based on the visual identification of the Shengrong site in maps/satellite imagery, and Panoramio photographs, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 01 Mar 2013.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names


8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Mahayana

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • the Liu Sahe tradition (Galambos n.d.:74)
  • [Liu Sahe, whose Buddhist name is Shi Huida [see also “monk Huida, whose lay name was Liu Sahe” in books.google.com.au/books?isbn=9004156046], was a famous monk during the East Jin Dynasty (317-420). - www.nwp.cn/book/537_26587.shtml "Liu Sahe 劉薩訶, a Jihu monk and folk hero." - http://opar.unior.it/513/1/AION_65_2005_Rothschild.pdf]

11. Date-early

  • Established 561 CE (Galambos n.d.:70)
  • MBM chrono-tag 0533-66c - tmciolek 01 Mar 2013
  • 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

  • Was active in 968 CE (Galambos n.d.:73)
  • Was active in the 18th c. - Dunnell (1996:97).

13. Date-late

  • Destroyed in the 1950s - Dunnell (1996:97)
  • MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 01 Mar 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • [missing data]

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)….

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

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