Guoqing Temple

Guoqing Temple

The Guoqing Temple is a Buddhist temple on Mount Tiantai, in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Originally built in 598 during the Sui Dynasty, and renovated during the reign of the Qing Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735). It was the initial site for the creation of the Tiantai school of Mahayana Buddhism, founded by Zhiyi (538–597 AD). In 598, according to Master Zhizhe's last wish, the ruler of Sui dynasty (581–618) built Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai. The Tiantai sect is the first Chinese Buddhist sect to evolve from the original Buddhism after it was spread to China. Its founder, Master Zhizhe, lived on Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang for a long time - hence the name Tiantai sect. In the Tang dynasty (618–907), a large number of Japanese diplomats came to China. In the second year of the Zhenyuan Period, namely AD 804, the eminent Japanese monk Saichō came with the diplomats. He learned the Tiantai doctrine in Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai introduced by Lu Chun, prefectural governor of Ningbo, Zhejiang. One year later, Saicho returned to Japan. Since then, the Guoqing Temple became the cradle of the Tiantai sect in Japan. This mountain temple is the site where indigenous Chinese Buddhism branched away from Buddhist teachings and doctrine commonly found in India. From there, the Tiantai sect of Buddhism spread to both Korea and Japan during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). The tall brick Guoqing Pagoda built at the temple in the year 597 AD is still standing, making it one of the oldest surviving brick pagodas in China

worldheritagelayer

598AD

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Guoqing Temple

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