First, the basic situation of Nangong (omitted)

Second, about ordinary temples and towers.

Ordinary Temple is located in the western suburb of Nangong City, near Qunying Lake, the largest artificial lake in southern Hebei, and adjacent to the provincial ten thousand mu wetland park in the northeast. The common tower is an octagonal nine-level solid brick tower in the west courtyard of the common temple. This is the first temple and stupa built by Mo Teng and Zhu Falan, founders of Buddhism in China in the 10th year of Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 67). The temple and pagoda were built one year and two years earlier than Baima Temple and Yun Qi Tower respectively, and they are the first temples and pagodas in China.

First of all, Zhao Jian is the earliest.

Whether it is historical records, inscriptions or expert research, the construction age of ordinary temples and towers is determined to be the tenth year of Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

(1) historical records. Nangong County Records was founded in the thirty-eighth year of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty (AD 1559), and was revised six times in the Republic of China, each time clearly recording the construction date of the ordinary tower. The revised edition of Nangong County Records is described as follows:

"The ordinary tower is in the abandoned county, which was built by Emperor Yongping of Han Dynasty for ten years and rebuilt in Zhenguan for four years."

The "waste county" referred to here is the old city village where the ordinary tower is located, which is the seat of the county seat at that time. In the 14th year of Chenghua in Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1478), the Zhangheng River flooded, and the county town was destroyed and forced to move eastward for reconstruction, so the old county town was called a waste county. Later, the county annals revised by successive dynasties supplemented and extended the description of the construction of the common tower, but the date of its construction has never changed, and the words "biography" and "smell" have never appeared in the text. It can be seen that the historical basis of the theory that the common tower was built in Yongping for ten years is conclusive, and there is no doubt about this historical fact at least in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

(2) The inscription records. There are 43 Buddhist relics in Nangong, one of which is a bronze statue of Guanyin that fell from an ordinary tower in the Xingtai earthquake of 1966. Although some words on the back are illegible, the words "Ordinary Tower Built in the Eastern Han Dynasty" are legible. The other is a tablet carved in the 11th year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty, which was unearthed in 1992 when the ordinary temple was rebuilt. The inscription describes:

"Nanyi has an ordinary tower, which was built in the tenth year of Emperor Yongping of the Han Dynasty to the fourth year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty, and the big-eared Jackson rebuilt it. It is one of the ten scenic spots in this county and has a long history. "

These inscriptions and inscriptions clearly show that the ordinary tower was built in Han Yongping for ten years.

③ The conclusion of expert research. After eight years of extensive consultation with "bureau leaders (provincial religious affairs bureau), editorial board members, veteran comrades, offices, religious groups in the province, religious celebrities, municipal religious affairs bureaus, the State Council and other units or individuals" (Postscript of Religious Records of Hebei Province), the Religious Records of Hebei Province published by 1995 is also based on historical materials.

The ordinary temple in Nangong County, built by Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty for ten years, was built by Indian photographers Morton and Zhu Falan.

"Ordinary tower in the old city of Nangong today. Originally an ordinary temple building in the old city of Nangong, it was built in Yongping ten years in the Eastern Han Dynasty and presided over by two respected people, Mo Teng and Zhu Falan.

The Investigation of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Hebei Province published in 2003, after careful study by cultural relics archaeologists, also recognized that the ordinary tower was "built in the tenth year of Han Ming Yongping". It can be seen that ordinary temples and towers have been built in Yongping for ten years.

Then why did the first Buddhist temple and stupa, which are important symbols of the achievement of seeking dharma, not be built in Luoyang, the imperial capital, but favor Nangong? According to experts' speculation, there are two reasons: First, this is a decision made jointly by Yingfo Base, Nangong, Liu Xiu and Liu Zhuang. Nangong is the place where Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu made his fortune. In the second year (AD 2 4), Liu Xiu began to pass through Hebei, mainly to conquer Wang Lang, and he occupied the independent Hanwang in Handan. However, the development of the war was not smooth. When Liu Xiu led his troops to Jidi (in Beijing), the movement of arresting Liu Xiu by the pseudo-Han Xuandi Lang Xuanwei had arrived, and the soldiers were under pressure. "It's fun to drive south, but I'm afraid to enter the city in the morning." (A Record of Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han Dynasty) fled to the south under the guidance of "the father of white clothes". "In the Nangong, when it was stormy, Guangwudi led the car into the empty house, and his salary was different. Deng Yure caught fire and Guangwudi burned clothes on the stove. Compound into wheat rice and coat your shoulders. As a result, he crossed the Hutuo River to Xindu, and the river soldiers were separated. " (Biography of Feng Yi in the Later Han Dynasty) After the reinforcements arrived, Liu Xiu commanded the generals Wang Ba and Tong Pi to meet in Nangong, took Zhengding, captured Yuanshi County, conquered Fuhan, and defeated Wang Lang in one fell swoop. In June of the following year (AD 25), he proclaimed himself emperor in Yan. In order to commemorate the adventure in Nangong, the Eastern Han Dynasty built the "Dafeng Pavilion" in Nangong (the former site of Dafeng Pavilion still exists, and there are monuments carved in the Ming Dynasty, all about 300 meters southwest of the tower), which shows that this is the "blessed land" of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At the same time, Nangong also left many village names and place names related to Liu Xiu, which are still in use today. For example, the village where Liu Xiu was stationed was named Liushi Village. The village where Liu Xiu commanded General Wang Ba to camp in Nangong was named Wang Ba Village (later renamed Wangdaozhai in the middle of Qing Dynasty). The village where clothes are dried in the rain is called Liucun. Later, it was divided into Ma, Xie, Zhang, Zheng and Zhu according to the villagers' surnames in the west of the village, which was recorded in detail in Nangong County Records. Therefore, on the way to Luoyang, it is reasonable for the Chinese ambassador to pass through the "blessed land" Nangong, pay tribute to the "sacred site" and take photos of Morten and Zhu Falan. Building a tower and repairing a temple next to the Dafeng Pavilion, Liu Xiu died in the "holy land" of Cheng Xiang and the inheritance of the Eastern Han Dynasty turned the corner, which is undoubtedly the blessing of the Buddha-welcoming people to the Han Empire and the generous return of the monks to Ming Di for seeking dharma. Secondly, this is a political strategy adopted by Emperor Han Ming. Embracing Buddhism means sublating and challenging traditional beliefs, which is an unprecedented move. This is a blessing or a curse. Whether China people can accept it or not, Liu Zhuang, as the head of a country, must be cautious. It would be too abrupt to introduce the Imperial City directly. For political reasons, it is not the wisdom of the monarch to "lead" in the "blessed land" where disasters can be avoided and then delay for a while.

Second, the Buddhist mage Dade has a clear evaluation.

In people's impression, the first Buddhist temple in China is called White Horse Temple and the first stupa is called Yun Qi Tower, which is almost "common sense". Nevertheless, in the eyes of Buddha Dade, the status of Nangong ordinary temple has never been erased. Zhao Puchu, former vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of Chinese Buddhist Association, is very concerned about the restoration and construction of ordinary temples. He not only listened to the report on the construction of ordinary temples, but also personally donated 50,000 yuan at 1992 to show his concern. In order to make up for the mistakes in the history books, Master Jing Hui, vice president of the Buddhist Association of China and president of the Buddhist Association of Hebei Province, was the first to stand up and affirm the historical position of ordinary temples. He solemnly pointed out in his speech at the completion of the restoration of the ordinary temple and the opening ceremony of the Buddha statue in 1996: "I want to emphasize that this temple should be said to be the first temple of Buddhism spreading eastward, because it is one year earlier than the Baima Temple. We haven't publicized this historical fact for so many years, because the scale has not yet risen. Now this place has begun to take shape, with four people gathered and managed normally. Here we can solemnly announce to all walks of life that the real China First Temple is in Nangong City, Hebei Province, which is our ordinary temple. " Also in this year, Master Haifa, the 76-year-old executive director of the Chinese Buddhist Association, the director of the Henan Buddhist Association and the abbot of Baima Temple, also sent a congratulatory flag to express the same view. Master Haifa wrote on the congratulatory flag sent to the ordinary temple:

"At the earliest in the Sinian, the Ursa Major Hall of Galand Nangong Normal Temple was completed, and the Buddha statue celebrated: the Dharma moistened and germinated, and the ordinary auspicious glory of China. The ancestral court of Baima Temple Teachers College in Luoyang, Henan Province, was congratulated by Haifa Ling Er Gong. He didn't directly call it "Nangong Ordinary Temple" here, but deliberately added "Galand was first in the Sinian". On the one hand, he expressed the joy of the old mage after learning the news of the restoration of the ordinary temple, on the other hand, he also gave a clear positioning to the Nangong ordinary temple. The "first" and "earliest" of the two exorcists have the same effect, which shows the position of ordinary temples in the minds of Buddhist monks.

Thirdly, as a translator, she played her due role.

Due to the construction and completion of ordinary pagodas and temples, Nangong discovered four historical sites, namely, the earliest pagoda, the earliest Buddhist temple, the earliest lecture Dojo, the earliest tin residence of She Moteng, the originator of Han Buddhism, and Zhu Falan. In the long historical years since then, with the help, cultivation and guidance of the ordinary temples on Buddhist Avenue, the temples in Nangong complement each other, with numerous followers and endless incense, which has written a remarkable chapter in the history of Buddhism in China. Its high prosperity and wide popularity can be seen from China's historical records and a large number of Buddhist remains. According to the survey, since the Song and Ming Dynasties, there are 17 temples clearly recorded in Nangong County Records, with a maximum of more than 30 temples. According to the "Rebuilding the Stone Buddha Temple Monument" recorded in the Kangxi edition of Nangong County Records, there are more than 100 temples in Nangong Brahma Temple. According to the statistics of Records of Hebei Province and Records of Religions, there were 786 Buddhist temples in Hebei Province during the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty. In the Annals of Nangong County revised in the same period (30th year of Guangxu), there are 3/kloc-0 temples with exact addresses, temple names and construction years, accounting for nearly 4% of the total in the province. At present, the remains of cultural relics in Nangong and archaeological discoveries in recent years also prove the reliability of historical records. There are 58 cultural relics at or above the county level in Nangong City, including 22 Buddhist statues, temple sites and temple inscriptions, accounting for 37.9% of the total. Among the 69 cultural relics above Grade III, 43 are Buddhist, accounting for 62.3% of the total collection. Especially in recent years, the new discovery of Buddhist archaeology in Nanguan has supplemented the blank of historical records.

1in the spring of 995, when the North Second University of Chuiyang Town was cleaning up the riverbed in the northwest of its village, it found hundreds of white marble Buddha statues. According to experts' research, they are relics of the Wanfo Temple in the Tang Dynasty. In the spring of 2006, when Xiaoguan Village of Beihu Office plowed the white land in Qunying Hubei Reservoir Area in spring, nearly 100 white marble Buddha statues in Beiqi were found. A few days later, when digging in the west of Houdige Village in Zhongzhen, more than 100 white marble Buddha statues in the early Tang Dynasty were found, and their inscriptions were considered as relics of Pilu Temple. At the same time, a large number of beautifully carved Buddha statues appeared in the east and west wings of Nangong, which attracted the great attention of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and immediately organized rescue excavations for the two sites. During the excavation of the site of Houdi Pavilion, more than 300 pieces of marble, bluestone and ceramic Buddha statues were found in the cellar. According to Mr. Xie Fei, a senior archaeologist and deputy director of the Cultural Relics Bureau, these Buddha statues unearthed in Houdi Pavilion are comparable to those found in Qingzhou, Shandong Province and Quyang, Hebei Province in terms of quantity, material, carving technology and age. It is a major Buddhist archaeological discovery in our province for more than 50 years and is expected to rank among the top ten new archaeological discoveries in China. The Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau has applied to National Cultural Heritage Administration for further archaeological excavations. These archaeological discoveries once again prove the profound Buddhist culture of Nangong.

From the above analysis, the ordinary temples and pagodas should be regarded as the first temples and pagodas in China, no matter from the date of construction, the position in the minds of monks, and the role and influence in history.

Third, the idea of restoring the construction of Park Tong.

There must be a famous temple in the holy land, and the Dojo condenses the Buddha's edge. Ordinary towers stand tall after suffering, while ordinary temples have long been destroyed by disasters. Now the temple is rebuilt in 1992. The restoration and reconstruction was presided over by Master Hong Chuan, who was praised as "the first patriotic monk in China" by Zhao Puchu, former vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Chinese Buddhist Association. In order to continue the Buddha's fate and further build the cultural brand of China Buddhism as the "source place" and "ancestral temple", Nangong Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government listed the development of ordinary temples in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, and formulated the construction framework of "there are towers in temples, temples in gardens, gardens in forests and forests in water" according to the integrated development of ordinary temples, Qunying Lake, wetland parks and forest parks. We have reason to believe that under the careful planning and vigorous promotion of Nangong Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, with the care, concern and support of the Buddhist community, with the full cooperation of people of insight from all walks of life, especially with the strong intervention of the developers of people of insight and kindness, the long-lost ancient temples and towers will surely usher in a more charming and magnificent future of Nangong Buddhist culture.

(This manuscript was prepared at the academic seminar on 20th October, 2007, when the Chinese and Indian cultural envoys Morton and Zhu Falan took a photo in Xi 'nan Palace and the 60th anniversary of the construction of China's first pagoda temple-ordinary pagoda and temple).