Храм Белой лошади

White Horse Temple in Luoyang is traditionally regarded as the first Buddhist temple established in China, founded in the eleventh year of the Yongping era of the Eastern Han dynasty, around 68 CE. Built by imperial order after Buddhism was formally introduced to the Chinese court, it has long been honored as the ancestral temple and origin point of Chinese Buddhism, giving it outsized historical significance relative to its physical size.

According to tradition, the temple takes its name from the legend of a white horse that carried Buddhist scriptures from Central Asia to Luoyang, a story that remains closely tied to the site's identity. Over the centuries the temple has been damaged and rebuilt numerous times amid periods of war and unrest, so the buildings visitors see today are largely later reconstructions rather than the original Han-dynasty structures. Despite this, the temple grounds retain a series of halls, courtyards, and Buddhist statuary arranged in the traditional layout of a Chinese monastery, along with sections reflecting later additions such as Thai and Indian-style Buddhist buildings added in more recent times, reflecting the temple's ongoing role as a site of international Buddhist significance.

Because the temple complex is relatively compact, visitors can comfortably walk through the entire grounds without difficulty, and a visit typically takes one to two hours. The atmosphere tends to be calm and contemplative, particularly away from the main entrance areas.

Given its historical status as the origin of Chinese Buddhism, White Horse Temple is a natural stop for visitors interested in religious history during a trip to Luoyang, and it is often combined with other historic sites in the city given its accessible size and shorter visit time.