Xingjiao Temple, Buddhist temple in Chang'an District, Xi'an, China.
Xingjiao Temple is a Buddhist monastery in Chang'an District, Xi'an, built around three brick pagodas in its western courtyard, the Cien Court. The central Xuanzang Pagoda is a five-story, roughly 21-meter square structure with a 5.2-meter base; inside, a clay statue of Xuanzang sits in a niche, and a 839 stele records his life. Kuiji's pagoda stands to the west (682), Yuance's to the east (1115).
The temple was founded in 669 CE, shortly after the death of Xuanzang, to house his remains on the orders of the Tang emperor. It was later destroyed by fire during the Qing period and then rebuilt in the early 20th century.
The temple's name comes from the two characters 'Xingjiao' (meaning 'flourishing teaching') written by Emperor Suzong of Tang. The site is a national key Buddhist temple in the Han Chinese area, and since the 1980s the monastic community has restored buildings such as the Xingci Hall and the abbot's quarters with donations from believers. The vegetarian dining hall, funded by thousands of donors, can seat up to 600 people at once.
The temple is located on the Shaoling plateau, roughly 20 kilometers southeast of central Xi'an, so a taxi or private vehicle is the most practical way to get there. Weekday visits tend to be calmer, as the site draws more people on public holidays.
The temple's three brick pagodas are known together as the Cien Three Pagodas. Xuanzang's is the central five-storey tower, about 21 metres high; the pagoda of his disciple Kuiji was built in 682, and that of Yuance, a Silla monk who served as state preceptor under Wu Zetian, in 1115. The three are not contemporary.
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