White Horse Temple (or Baimasi in Chinese pinyin) is located 12 km away from Luoyang City. It is attractive for its ancient buildings and devotional atmosphere.

Established by the Han Dynasty in 68 AD when Buddhism started to spread in China, it has some claimed to be the first Buddhist temple built in China. Legend says that one night in the year A. D. 64, Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) dreamed of a golden with the sun and moon behind his head. Two monks sent to search for the origin of the dream reached India and returned riding white horses with two Indian monks and a bundle of sutras.

This temple was built to honor them, and its layout is in keeping with the legend.

The temple has been through many changes. What we see today is a rectangular courtyard complex facing south, reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with an area of 40,000 square meters and a roofed entrance arch with three doorways. The entrance is built of blue stones, including several pieces from the Eastern Han Dynasty.