Kaiyuan Temple — Attraction in Lizhong Subdistrict

Hinduism in China.🧡🏹🚩

Hinduism is still present in China, though it is now in minuscule numbers. However archaeological evidences suggest there was once a thriving presence of Hindus in different provinces of medieval China.

In photos is the Kaiyuan temple, in Quanzhou, a province of southeast China. According to the historians, there were more than a dozen Hindu temples, including two big shrines, in Quanzhou and the surrounding villages, which were built by a group of Tamil traders who lived here during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) periods.

In 1271, a visiting Italian merchant recorded that the Indian traders “were recognised easily. These rich Indian men and women mainly live on vegetables, milk and rice, unlike the Chinese who eat meat and fish.”

The Kaiyuan temple show many Shaiva motifs, similar to the ones seen on temples in Tamil Nadu of the same period (10th-14th centuries).

In the 1930s, many murtis of Narasimha were unearthed from Quanzhou during an archaeological excavation by Wu Wenliang. Among other Hindu artefacts, images depicting Puranic stories associated with Vishnu and Shiva were also found, showing a style similar to what is seen on temples in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of the same period (10th -14th centuries).

Besides the Tamil traders, Indians entered China through the ancient Bengal-Kamrup route (Assam) via Burma into south Chinese province of Yunnan, as well as other southwestern regions of modern China. This is supported by the discovery of Shiva-linga and yoni in Jianchuan caves, while many other Hindu artefacts were found during excavation of Dali temple in Yunnan.

Another route to enter China was through Kashmir, and it was this route that carried Buddhism to China.

(All images from Google)

🚩this post is in context to a Hanuman murti photo that was shared on Hanuman Jayanti. The murti was from China, and few then had said there was no Hinduism ever in China, and the Hanuman murti was actually from a jataka tale of Buddhism.

For more detailed reading:

John Kieschnick and Meir Shahar, India in the Chinese Imagination - Myth, Religion and Thought.

N. Subramaniam, A Tamil Colony in Medieval China, South Indian Studies, Society for Archaeological, Historical and Epigraphical Research,...

The Kaiyuan Temple (开元寺) is a renowned Buddhist temple located in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. It is one of the oldest and most significant Buddhist temples in the region, with a rich history dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). The temple is also famous for being one of the largest and most well-preserved Buddhist complexes in China. There are Hindu caving and pillars in the temple architecture. The Temple is home to an intriguing historical artifact—a Song Dynasty ship, which is preserved on the temple premises. This ship is not only a remarkable find in itself but also a significant representation of the maritime history of Quanzhou during the...

Iconic landmark of Quanzhou that is definitely worth a visit! Do some quick reading up on the history of the temple before visiting to better appreciate the place (or if you have the budget you can pay one of the tour guides hanging around outside the temple).

This temple has survived natural disasters and bears distinctive design elements from India, which makes it very unique compared to other temples I've visited. Depending on your level of interest, it can be a very quick 30min whiz through just to take photos (which a lot of teens in costume were doing) but it's worth taking your time to hear more about the...