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The Religious World Of Tang Dynasty
As early as 6,000 years ago, some primitive religious ideas emerged
in among the prehistoric people living around today's Xi'an. With
the dawning of history came the introduction of foreign religions
and China's original religions gained a new perspective. Buddhism,
the first foreign religion introduced from ancient India, attracted
the Chinese with its philosophies of eternal life and perfect happiness.
Chang'an was the first Chinese city baptised in Buddhism and served
as China's Buddhist centre from the Northern Dynasties down to the
Tang Dynasty. Taoism, a rival to Buddhism, was a religion based
on Taoist philosophy, rooted in early mythical powers, and mixed
later with Confucianism and Buddhism. Islamism, Nestorianism, Zoroastrianism
and Manichaeism respectively gained their grounds in the Chinese
capital. All of these religions congregated in Chang'an , making
the city's celestial world actively crowded with gods haloed in
various colours, broadening and enriching the city's spiritual life,
and increasing the city's religious atmosphere.
Buddhism
 During
the later period of the Western Han Dynasty at the end of the first
century BC, Buddhism began to spread from ancient India. In 67 AD,
during the Eastern Han Dynasty, an envoy dispatched by Emperor Mingdi
brought back Buddhist portraits and sutras to China from the State
of Dyuezi. When the envoy's team arrived at today's Xingping Country
(west of Xi'an city), they were surrounded by the local people,
who burnt incense, kneeled on the ground and worshipped Buddha for
three days until the team continued its journey to the capital.
During the Sixteen States Period (ie, 203-439), Chang'an was the
national centre of Buddhism, Emperor Fu Jian of Early Qin highly
respected Buddhist Master Dao'an and encouraged the translation
of Buddhist sutras and the dissemination of Buddhist philosophy.
In an attempt to invite Kumarajiva, a famous Buddhist master of
India blood in the Western Regions, Emperor Fu Jian dispatched an
expedition army of 70,000 men but eventually failed in his attempt.
In 401, Emperor Yao Xing of later Qin succeeded in his efforts to
invite Kumarajiva to Chang'an and treated him as the State Master.
Kumarajiva translated more than 400 volumes of Buddhist sutras in
Chang'an. After the completion of his great translation project,
he preached Buddhism to 5,000 monks from various parts of the country.
By then Buddhism reached its apex in the period of Sixteen States.
Two years before Kumarajiva's arrival in Chang'an, Chinese Buddhist
master Faxian set out from Chang'an for India. He travelled and
studied Buddhism for 14 years, and was praised as "the first
Chinese who dedicated himself to Buddhism". This is the eastward
introduction and westward pilgrimage of early Buddhism in China.
During the Tang Dynasty, there were 81 Buddhist monasteries and
28 Buddhist nunneries in Chang'an.
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