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Building and rebuilding Buddhist monasteries in Tang China : the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou

Anna Sokolova (UGent)
(2021) RELIGIONS. 12(4).
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Abstract
This article explores regional Buddhist monasteries in Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) China, including their arrangement, functions, and sources for their study. Specifically, as a case study, it considers the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan monastery 開元寺 in Sizhou 泗州 (present-day Jiangsu Province) with reference to the works of three prominent state officials and scholars: Bai Juyi 白居易 (772–846), Li Ao 李翱 (772–841), and Han Yu 韓愈 (768–824). The writings of these literati allow us to trace the various phases of the monastery’s reconstruction, fundraising activities, and the network of individuals who participated in the project. We learn that the rebuilt multi-compound complex not only provided living areas for masses of pilgrims, traders, and workers but also functioned as a barrier that protected the populations of Sizhou and neighboring prefectures from flooding. Moreover, when viewed from a broader perspective, the renovation of the Kaiyuan monastery demonstrates that Buddhist construction projects played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of Tang China’s major metropolises as well as its regions.
Keywords
regional monasteries, Tang Buddhism, stelae inscriptions, Kaiyuan monastery, Sizhou, ordination platforms

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MLA
Sokolova, Anna. “Building and Rebuilding Buddhist Monasteries in Tang China : The Reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou.” RELIGIONS, vol. 12, no. 4, 2021, doi:10.3390/rel12040253.
APA
Sokolova, A. (2021). Building and rebuilding Buddhist monasteries in Tang China : the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou. RELIGIONS, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12040253
Chicago author-date
Sokolova, Anna. 2021. “Building and Rebuilding Buddhist Monasteries in Tang China : The Reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou.” RELIGIONS 12 (4). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12040253.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Sokolova, Anna. 2021. “Building and Rebuilding Buddhist Monasteries in Tang China : The Reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou.” RELIGIONS 12 (4). doi:10.3390/rel12040253.
Vancouver
1.
Sokolova A. Building and rebuilding Buddhist monasteries in Tang China : the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou. RELIGIONS. 2021;12(4).
IEEE
[1]
A. Sokolova, “Building and rebuilding Buddhist monasteries in Tang China : the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou,” RELIGIONS, vol. 12, no. 4, 2021.
@article{8703598,
  abstract     = {{This article explores regional Buddhist monasteries in Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) China, including their arrangement, functions, and sources for their study. Specifically, as a case study, it considers the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan monastery 開元寺 in Sizhou 泗州 (present-day Jiangsu Province) with reference to the works of three prominent state officials and scholars: Bai Juyi 白居易 (772–846), Li Ao 李翱 (772–841), and Han Yu 韓愈 (768–824). The writings of these literati allow us to trace the various phases of the monastery’s reconstruction, fundraising activities, and the network of individuals who participated in the project. We learn that the rebuilt multi-compound complex not only provided living areas for masses of pilgrims, traders, and workers but also functioned as a barrier that protected the populations of Sizhou and neighboring prefectures from flooding. Moreover, when viewed from a broader perspective, the renovation of the Kaiyuan monastery demonstrates that Buddhist construction projects played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of Tang China’s major metropolises as well as its regions.}},
  articleno    = {{253}},
  author       = {{Sokolova, Anna}},
  issn         = {{2077-1444}},
  journal      = {{RELIGIONS}},
  keywords     = {{regional monasteries,Tang Buddhism,stelae inscriptions,Kaiyuan monastery,Sizhou,ordination platforms}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{15}},
  title        = {{Building and rebuilding Buddhist monasteries in Tang China : the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3390/rel12040253}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}

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