Deep in Qinglong Mountain, Gongyi, lies Ciyun Temple, an ancient monastery built four years earlier than the renowned White Horse Temple in Luoyang. Founded in the 7th year of the Yongping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 64) by an eminent monk from ancient India, it became one of the earliest Zen temples after Buddhism was introduced to China, earning it the title "Ancestral Court of the Source of Buddhism". The stone inscriptions within the temple still recount the dramatic history of Buddhism's early arrival in China. Scattered throughout the temple are numerous historical relics and sites, bearing silent witness to its profound legacy. (Text: Henan Daily Photo: Deng Fang)
