Raw data
"Niushou Pagoda, Nanjing, China - (8th century, heavily restored) - Niushou Hill is about 5 or 10 miles south of the city of Nanjing and is surrounded by farmland. The name means Ox Head Hill. A temple was first built near the summit of this hill during the Liang dynasty, shortly after Buddhism was first introduced to China. Apparently, this temple (like many others constructed during this era) had several niche caves with Buddhist images in them. Some of these caves survive a few hundred yards away from the surviving pagoda. In either 766 or 774, during the Tang dynasty, a large temple complex was built here by the Monk Farong at the order of the Tang emperor, Daizong. This temple was historically important as Farong established his own sect of Buddhism here, called the Niutou (ox head) sect. This temple was called Hongjuesi and it included a seven-story pagoda. [… Also] There was a temple on this site up through the end of the Qing dynasty, but the Taiping Rebellion, the Japanese occupation, and the Cultural Revolution have all combined to remove all its traces." - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/nanjing/niushou.php
“Honjuesi Pagoda in Nishoushan was built from the latest year of Xuande reign to the fourth or fifth year of Zhengtong reign. LI Fu-shan, a eunuch, whose name was found in the inscription of the copper pagoda in the basement, was consided the man who built the pagoda.” - http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DNWH200209011.htm
Input by: tmciolek, Apr 02, 2013
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 02 Apr 2013
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Hongjue monastery, CN.
Lat 31.89038 Long 118.7417
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2013.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Hongjue monastery - http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DNWH200209011.htm
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- China: Jiangsu Sheng
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx. Lat 31.89038 Long 118.7417 - based on visual identification of the Hongjue site in maps/satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 2 Apr 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
- Nan-ching - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Nanjing.html
- Nan-ching-shih - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Nanjing.html
- Nanking - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Nanjing.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 32.0617 Long 118.7778 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/4/Nanjing.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Mahayana
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- Chan/Zen, Niutou (Oxhead) branch - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/nanjing/niushou.php
11. Date-early
- "A temple was first built near the summit of this hill during the Liang dynasty [502-557], shortly after Buddhism was first introduced to China." http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/nanjing/niushou.php
- MBM chrono-tag 0500-32p 0533-66c - tmciolek 2 Apr 2013
- A new temple established in either 766 or 774 by Farong [aka Niu-t'ou Fa-jung - http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/mindins.htm] [ven.farong] at the order of the Tang emperor, Daizong - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/nanjing/niushou.php
- MBM chrono-tag 0767-99c - tmciolek 2 Apr 2013
- 0500-32p 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
- [missing data]
13. Date-late
- The temple operated on this site "up through the end of the Qing dynasty, but the Taiping Rebellion, the Japanese occupation, and the Cultural Revolution have all combined to remove all its traces." - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/nanjing/niushou.php
- MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 2 Apr 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]
18. Available Printed Literature
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]
end of page
