WEST VALLEY TEMPLE
History
The emperors of the Wei and Zhou dynasty abolished Buddhism twice, in 446 and 574 ap. A monk on the name of Hui then decided to burn Buddhist texts in the stone of the stoneware so that they could not be destroyed (previously, the texts of Buddhist canons were transcribed on skin and silk). His disciple Jingwan will continue his master's work and, for more than thirty years from the beginning of the seventh century until 637, he will transcribe the texts on stals, storing them in caves under the mountain, condemning their access every time the cave was full. Upon his death, his disciples will continue the same work until the twelfth century. In all, more than 14,000 staples will be engraved. Today, they are stored in a museum built in 1980 in the temple.
Visit
This temple is also famous for its two pagodas: the Luo Han pagoda, which dates from the Tang, and the pagoda Ya Jing Ta ("which crushes the Buddhist canons") of the twelfth century. Even if the temple is a little distant from Beijing, the walk is worth the blow for the beauty of the site.
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