Xiema Temple

　　 Xiema Temple is located on the north side of National Highway 312 in the urban area, covering an area of approximately 3.1 acres. Its main structures include one mountain gate, one Hall of the Holy Mother, one ancestral hall, and one vegetarian hall. The temple grounds also feature two ancient Chinese scholar trees dating back about 600 years from the Ming Dynasty, making it one of the area’s key cultural and tourist attractions.

　　 According to historical records, in the eighth year of Emperor Ming of Han (65 AD), Emperor Ming Liu Zhuang dispatched a group of twelve people including the court physician Cai Xin and the scholar Qin Jing to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. In 67 AD, the Han envoys and Indian monks transported the Buddhist sutras and statues back to Luoyang on the backs of eight white horses. After enduring difficult journeys across mountains and rivers, they stopped at a spacious roadside inn in Pingliang due to continuous rainy weather that hindered their progress. Realizing that retrieving the sutras was a matter of great importance to the imperial court, Cai and Qin decided that even if the horse caravan could not return to the capital soon, the news must be sent back immediately. Therefore, Cai Xin went ahead to Luoyang while Qin Jing remained behind at the encampment in Pingliang.

　　 As Qin Jing was an educated diplomat of the imperial court who understood Sanskrit,

　　 he

　　 took the opportunity to translate Buddhist texts and preach their teachings in Pingliang. A month later, the horse caravan continued its journey toward Luoyang. In recognition of the white horses’ meritorious service in transporting the scriptures, Emperor Ming Liu Zhuang named the newly built temple “White Horse Temple.” In Pingliang, the roadside inn where the horse caravan had stayed was converted into a Buddhist shrine and named “Xiema Temple” (Resting Horse Temple) to commemorate the beginning of Buddhism’s introduction to China. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, as Buddhism flourished and spread widely, the architectural complex of Xiema Temple began to take shape. Halls, corridors, and monks’ quarters formed independent courtyards, with pine, cypress, flowers, and trees flourishing all around, making it a renowned ancient Buddhist temple. By the Tang Dynasty, when Daoism gained imperial favor, Emperor Gaozong of Tang conferred the title of “Supreme Mysterious Origin Emperor” upon Laozi (Li Er). While promoting Daoism, Buddhism was not abolished, leading to a period of coexistence. However, Emperor Wuzong of Tang’s suppression of Buddhism shifted the balance, and Daoism became dominant. Consequently, Xiema Temple gradually transformed into a Daoist temple, enshrining deities such as the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, the Goddess Bixia Yuanjun (Goddess of Fertility), the ethnic hero Wei Qing, and the White Horse General—who was credited with the successful transport of the scriptures. At this time, the architecture of Xiema Temple became grand and magnificent, enjoying bustling incense offerings. The annual temple fair, especially the performance of thanksgiving operas on the 12th day of the seventh lunar month, became a major attraction in northern Pingliang. Owing to its long history, worshippers during the temple fair came not only from seventeen counties in eastern Gansu but also from nearby regions such as Baoji and other nearby cities and counties. Historically, Xiema Temple has been through cycles of prosperity and destruction. Currently, only fragmented records remain of its construction during the Ming Hongwu and Wanli eras over four hundred years ago. Historical accounts indicate that after the Song and Yuan dynasties, Xiema Temple once served as a major relay station. During the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the crown prince Li Heng traveled from Mawei Slope to Pingliang Prefecture

　　 and stayed at Xiema Temple before moving to

　　 Xingjiao Temple (later renamed Longyin Temple). From the eighth year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty to the 22nd year of the Republic of China, devotees twice undertook major construction projects to pray for peace and protect the local populace. These efforts resulted in the building of over twenty halls, twenty-eight theater viewing pavilions, along with seventy-three additional structures including stages, incense rooms, Taoist living quarters, covered walkways, and dining halls

　　 on a temple ground spanning twelve acres. In the early years of the Republic of China, Gao Puming, a distinguished scholar of the Qing Dynasty, taught at the temple to benefit the local community. This was followed by the Pingliang Normal School Annex and Liuhu School. In the early 1980s, at the initiative of the temple’s two then abbots, Ju Henglu and Yao Xueli, a preparatory committee for rebuilding Xiema Temple was established. A charter for the reconstruction was formulated, and later, in accordance with the Party’s religious policies, the committee evolved into a council. Gradually, the mountain gate, main hall, altars, towers, ancestral halls, side halls, and vegetarian hall were restored or rebuilt, along with twenty-two commercial storefronts.

　　 Xiema Temple serves as a community hub for religious and cultural activities. Having undergone many changes and periods of both prosperity and ruin, the Kongtong District government, considering current social and economic development, believes it is essential to restore Xiema Temple to its original state and transform it into a public venue centered around Kongtong culture, integrating religious, cultural, tourism, and recreational functions. Starting in 2004, planning and development have commenced, guided by the principle of “unified planning with phased implementation.” The aim is to achieve exquisite ancient-style architecture with outstanding quality, combining aesthetics and practicality. Once completed, Xiema Temple will join cultural landmarks in the urban area such as Huangmiao (the Temple to the City God), the Pagoda, East Lake, and Liuhu Lake, thereby enriching the cultural and historical landscape of Kongtong and enhancing both the scale and cultural depth of Kongtong tourism.