Nestled deep in Qinglong Mountain, Gongyi, Ciyun Temple is an ancient monastery established four years before the famous White Horse Temple in Luoyang. Founded in AD 64 during the reign of Emperor Liu Zhuang in the Eastern Han Dynasty by a renowned Indian monk, it became one of China's earliest Zen temples, earning the title "Ancestral Court of the Source of Buddhism." Stone inscriptions within the temple recount the dramatic history of Buddhism's introduction to China, while scattered relics and sites throughout the temple quietly testify to its rich legacy.
