Brief information on Asoka Temple  

Built in 282, Asoka Temple stands at the foot of Yuwang and Mount Mao, , one of the Five Mountains honoured by Buddhism’s Chan Sect (Zen Buddhism) in China. It plays an important role in the history of Chinese Buddhism, enjoying a famous reputation among domestic and international Buddhists because a bone from the skeleton of Sakyamuni, the first Buddha, is enshrined in the temple.

Built along the hillside, the Asoka Temple is grand in size with the current building comprising over 600 halls, pavilions, and towers. The Grand Hall was rebuilt during the emperor Kangxi’s reign of the Qing Dynasty (1664-1911), in which the tablet inscribed by the emperor Qianlong hangs. The Sarira Hall was established in 1678 with double eaves and yellow glazed tile coping. The stupa with the Sykyamuni’s Sarira, inside the hall, are four cornered and five storied, carved with Buddha figures on each. Now the Asoka Temple also houses 58 carved stone inscriptions from the Tang, Song, Ming, Qing dynasties, and from the Republic of China to modern times, and among which the ’King Asoka’s (Tang Dynasty) Resident Field Stele”, stele of ’Story of Chen Kui Pavilion’ by Sushi (a famous poet in Song Dynasty), and ’the Inscription of Wonderful and Happy Spring” by Zhang Jiucheng have pride of place among all collections of the temple.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Asoka Temple if you plan to visit Asoka Temple and have language problems.

   

Admission: CNY 10
Transportation: Bus No.558, 556