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Explore the region
About Caotang Temple
It is associated with Kumārajīva’s early fifth-century Buddhist translation work. The small, elaborately carved relic stupa attributed to him contrasts with the larger worship halls, while a Tang stele commemorating Guifeng Zongmi connects the site with another major Buddhist teacher. These stone monuments make the temple rewarding beyond its traditional association with the ‘smoke well.’
In 401, the Later Qin ruler Yao Xing (姚兴) established the temple for Kumārajīva (鸠摩罗什). A lecture hall roofed with thatch gave the monastery its familiar name. During the Tang, Guifeng Zongmi (圭峰宗密) directed renovations and renamed it Qi Chan Temple (栖禅寺), although the name Caotang continued in common use.
The grounds cover about 120 mu (亩) and follow a traditional sequence of monastic halls along a central axis. The temple became a Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1956 and a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Areas in 1983. Kumārajīva's relic stupa within the temple separately became a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2001.
What to look for
- Kumārajīva’s relic stupa, assembled from differently colored carved stone elements.
- The Tang stele for Guifeng Zongmi, with text by Pei Xiu and heading attributed to Liu Gongquan.
Location & getting there
Getting to Caotang Temple
Travel to Caotang Subdistrict in Huyi District, at the foot of Guifeng.
- Specify Caotang Temple rather than a general Qinling mountain destination for the final road drop-off.
Combine your visit
Suggested order within this visit:
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Main worship halls
Establish the layout of the working temple.
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Kumārajīva relic stupa
Examine the small monument’s carved stone construction.
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Zongmi stele
Continue to the inscribed record of the temple’s Tang Buddhist connections.
This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.
Find Caotang Temple
草堂寺 · 鄠邑区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
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View guide →Sources & visit information
The linked encyclopedia sources support background and place descriptions. Current opening hours, ticket prices, booking rules and transport schedules have not been independently verified for this guide. Confirm them with the venue or operator before travelling.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92021507.
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "草堂寺", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92021507.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Caotang Temple", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366874057.