Huayen monastery, (near) Xi'an, Shaanxi, CN

Raw data

Hua-yen Monastery is located in the Weiqu County of Chang'an District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. According to Chronicles of Chang'an, Hua-yen Monastery was constructed in the fourteenth year (640) of the Zhenguan reign of the Taizong, the Tang Dynasty (618-907). As the birthplace of the Hua-yen School – one of eight sects of Chinese Buddhism, Hua-yen Monastery is the shrine of Buddhist believers at home and abroad. Fifteen kilometers to the south of Xi'an City, the monastery is surrounded by beautiful scenery. Fanchuan[1] is beneath the monastery. The Shenhe Plain lies to the west and Mt Zhongnan to the south. […]
For many reasons, at present, main constructions of Hua-yen Monastery do not exist except two brick pagodas. The eastern one is pagoda of Dushun (557-640) – the first patriarch of the Hua-yen School. With building style, the pagoda is thirteen meters high containing seven layers. On the highest layer, "Founder of the Hua-yen School" is inscribed in the stone horizontal tablet. The western one is the pagoda of Chengguan (738-839) [abbot Cheng-kuan [澄觀] 738-838 AD http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/bdoor/archive/nutshell/teach65.htm] – the fourth patriarch. This solid pagoda is seven meters high with five layers. "Pagoda of Utmost Enlightenment of State Preceptor Qingliang [=Chengguan] in Grand Tang Dynasty" is inscribed in the stone horizontal tablet on the second layer. Though main constructions of Hua-yen Monastery don't exist any more, magnificent history of the monastery can still be imagined by appreciating two splendid pagodas.
Nowadays, in Hua-yen Monastery, there are seven monks with three simple and crude halls as well as seven houses.
Src: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4b8f181d0100085k.html

Zhong-nan Mt., Mount Zhong-nan [終南山]
Hua-yen Line of Buddhism.
A place of study of the monk Fa-shun (Tu-shun) (557 or 558-640 AD)
Src: http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/bdoor/archive/nutshell/teach65.htm
Same as Du-shun - http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4b8f181d0100085k.html
Input by: tmciolek, Feb 23 2009

"Huayan Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi
This is not one of the 142 Key Temples. However, it was once a temple of great significance, and is a convenient stop on the way to Xingjiao Temple, which is one of the 142.
Huayan Temple was built in 803 and is considered the "cradle" of the Huayan School, one of the eight schools of Chinese Buddhism.
It was originally built on two levels, with the main temple below and the "ta yuan" (pagoda compound) on a plateau above; according to local informants, the lower level was destroyed in the 1950s to make way for a public school.
What remains is the former ta yuan, and some modern buildings that have been built around it. The ta yuan once had five pagodas dedicated to the founders of the Huayan School. Two of those remain: the pagodas of Dushun, founder of the School; and Chengguan, the Fourth Patriarch of the School. Even these are in danger of sliding down the hill, as much of the temple did back in the late 18th century." - http://chinaskeytemples.edu-spirit.com/huayan-temple-xian-shaanxi.html
Input by: tmciolek, Jul 12 2013

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 12 Jul 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 Huayen monastery, CN.

General location of the Huayen monastery, CN.
Lat 34.137312 Long 108.967209
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://maps.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.137312+108.967209+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Huayen%20monastery,%20CN)&ll=34.137312,108.967209&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Huayen Monastery - Porter (1993:x-xi)

2. Monastery's modern country

  • China:Shaanxi Sheng

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names


4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates


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


11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag: 0633-66c - tmciolek 27 Feb 2013
  • 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


13. Date-late

  • MBM chrono-tag: 1200=> - tmciolek 27 Feb 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • [missing data]

16. Additional notes


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

  • [missing data]

18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery


19. Available Printed Literature

  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]

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