The prosperous Chang'an, where multiple religions coexist harmoniously!

Chang'an has erected immortal monuments in the cultural history of China. Various religions converged in Chang'an via the 'Silk Road', coexisting in diversity and harmony. At the Louguantai on the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain, also known as the 'Preaching Platform', is where Laozi expounded the 'Tao Te Ching' and one of the birthplaces of Taoism in China, revered as 'the world's foremost blessed land'. Chang'an witnessed the flourishing development of Chinese Buddhism. The Daxingshan Temple, Da Ci'en Temple, Da Jianfu Temple, and Ximing Temple became centers for Buddhist scripture translation in succession, with the translation achievements of monks like Xuanzang, Yijing, and Amoghavajra being particularly notable. The Qinglong Temple in Xi'an is an important site for Esoteric Buddhism, where the Tang dynasty monk Huiguo once presided. The Japanese monk Kukai, who was part of the Japanese missions to Tang China, studied under Huiguo here and later founded the Shingon school in Japan. The Huayan Temple in Chang'an is the ancestral temple of the Huayan school (also known as the Kegon school). All five patriarchs of the Huayan school were granted imperial titles and revered as national masters. Among them, the fourth patriarch Chengguan (National Master Qingliang) was proficient in the Tripitaka of sutras, vinaya, and shastras, 'served nine dynasties and seven emperors as a teacher', lived to be one hundred and two years old. Emperor Wenzong of Tang suspended the court for three days upon his death, and the whole country mourned. His pagoda is named 'Miaojue'. The craftsmanship of the Manjusri Hall in Daxingshan Temple is extremely exquisite, and the statue of Prince Wenhui in Guangming Temple is lifelike. The murals in the Bodhisattva Temple and Xianyi Observatory, painted by Wu Daozi, feature flowing celestial garments and a dynamic atmosphere that fills the walls. During the Northern Wei period, Zoroastrianism was introduced into China. In Tang dynasty Chang'an, Zoroastrian temples were built in the administrative divisions of Buzhengfang, Liquanfang, Puningfang, and Jinggongfang, with the position of Sabao managing Zoroastrian affairs. Nestorianism, or the Church of the East, is represented by the 'Nestorian Stele', which records the earliest spread of Christianity in China! In the second year of the Yonghui era of the Tang dynasty (651), the Rashidun Caliphate (Arab Empire) sent its first mission to China, introducing Islam. The Great Mosque of Xi'an in Huajue Alley, built in the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty (742), is one of the earliest mosques in China. Empress Wu Zetian had a preference for Manichaeism, thus allowing the Persian Mani to spread the religion in Chang'an. Numerous palaces and temples stood in Chang'an, with Zoroastrian temples, Uyghur Guangming Temple, and Syrian Daqin Temple widely established among them.