The Luoyang qielan ji 洛陽伽藍記 "The monasteries of Luoyang" is a report of all Buddhist monasteries (the word qielan is derived from the Sanskrit word XXX) in the Northern Wei capital of Luoyang. It was written by the mid-6th century official Yang Xuanzhi 楊衒之 (his surname is also written with the characters 陽 or 羊) and comprises six “scrolls” (juan) or chapters. Yang’s motivation to give an overview of the capital city was that the city was thoroughly destroyed during the succession struggles that took place with the termination of the Northern Wei dynasty, with the objective to preserve the memory of the city’s appearance during it flourishing time under emperor Wei Xiaowendi 魏孝文帝 (reg. 471-499). At the same time his book can be seen as a critique of the lavishness with which the imperial house and rich families spent money for religious purposes instead of investing money in economy and the military. Yang does not only describe the monasteries in and around Luoyang but also provides important information about the establishing and founding of monasteries and is thus a valuable source not only for the history of religion in China but also for the social and economic history of China’s “middle ages”. The text contains a lot of citations from Yang’s primary sources which otherwise would be left. This is especially noteworthy for Song Yun’s 宋雲 book Jiaji 家記 and the monk Huisheng’s 慧生 essays Xingji 行記 and Daorong zhuan 道榮傳 “Biography of Monk Daorong”, of which citations are preserved in the fifth scroll of the Luoyang qielan ji. There are three important commentaries: Wu Ruozhun’s 吳若準 Luoyang qielan ji jizheng 洛陽伽藍記集證, Fan Xiangyong’s 范祥雍 Luoyang jielan ji jiaozhu 洛陽伽藍記校注, and Zhou Zumo’s 周祖謨 Luoyang qielan ji jiaoshi 洛陽伽藍記校釋. The book is included in the Taisho tripitaka (T 2092) and the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書 collection. There is an English translation by XXX. Source: Zhou Yiliang 周一良 (1992). "Luoyang qielan ji 洛陽伽藍記", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, pp. 634 f. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe. Contents 城內 Chengnei [Monasteries] inside the city 城東 Chengdong [Monasteries] east of the city 城南 Chengnan [Monasteries] south of the city 城西 Chengxi [Monasteries] west of the city 城北 Chengbei [Monasteries] north of the city

Exemplarious translation: The establishment of the Baima Temple (Temple of the White Horse) by Emperor Ming (AD 58-75) of the Han marked the introduction of Buddhism into China. The temple was located on the south side of the Imperial Drive, three leagues (li) outside the Xiyang Gate. The Emperor dreamt of the golden man sixteen Chinese feet tall, with the aureole of sun and moon radiating from his head and his neck. A "golden god", he was known as Buddha. The emperor dispatched envoys to the Western Regions in search of the god, and, as a result, acquired Buddhist scriptures and images. At the time, because the scriptures were carried into China on the backs of white horses, White Horse was adopted as the name of the temple. After the emperor's death, a hall for mediation was built on his tomb. Thereafter stupas were sometimes constructed even on the graves of the common people. The scripture cases housed in the temple have survived until this day; to them incense was often burned and good care was given. At times, the scripture cases gave off light that illuminated the room and hall. As a result, both laymen and Buddhist devotees reverently worshiped as if they were facing the real Buddha. In front of the stupa were promegranate trees and grapevines that were different from those grown elsewere: they had luxuriant foliage and huge fruits. The pomegranates each weighed seven catties, and the grapes were bigger than dates. The taste of both was especially delicious, superior to all others in the capital. At harvest time, the emperor often came in person to pick them. Sometimes he would give some to ladies in the harem, who in turn would present them as gifts to their relatives. They were considered rare delicacies. The recipients often hesitated to eat them; instead, the fruits would be passed on and on to several households. In the capital there was a saying: Sweet pomegranates of the White Horse, each fruit is as valuable as an ox. Translated by XXX.