| The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of Chinese feudal social development, showing a prosperous cultural situation. Chinese Buddhism in this period entered an important stage of development. At the time, Chang’an was a place dotted with Buddhist monasteries. Chang’an, whose surrounding traffic routes extended in all directions, was not only the cultural center of western and eastern countries, but also was the place where the Chinese and foreign Buddhist converged and developed. Buddhist spread from Northern India,Western Regions of China, and the Hexi Corridor to Chang’an, which was absorbed, digested and transformed during the period. It was connected with traditional thoughts and culture of China and gradually spread to eastern parts of China, which had an impact on the majority of inland areas and also the Korean Peninsula, and Japan.In the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist monasteries had a prominent status in the cultural exchange between Chinese and foreign countries. The main places where many monks who came to Tang Dynasty to learn and other foreigners carried out activities and learnt were Chang’an Buddhist monasteries, and these monks include Konghai, Yuanren, Yuanzai, Huichao, etc. Meanwhile, many native monks came to western countries for sutras or translated them, and these monks include Xuanzang, Yijing, Bukong, Shanwuwei Lingxian, etc. The most places where they started, ended, and translated and learnt the sutras are Chang’an Buddhist monasteries. Chang’an Buddhist monasteries in the exchange of Chinese and foreign Buddhist culture as an important carrier. It is of great significance in both academic and practice to study the formation, distribution, number and sectarian of Buddhist monasteries in Chang’an during Tang Dynasty, especially to research the Chinese and foreign monks who were active in these monasteries and to discuss the influence of them on cultural exchange between China and India, Japan, and Korea. |
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