Tang Dynasty Sutras Discovered At Yunju Temple

A commentary by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang on the Diamond Sutra has been discovered. The newly found commentary, including annotations and explanations, was located within the Yunju Temple's stone scriptures. The inscriptions, dating back to the Tang Dynasty, also include his notes and explanations. This find sheds light on the Tang Dynasty's inclusive cultural atmosphere. This commentary, along with his interpretations and notes, was found engraved on both sides of stone tablets. The Tang Emperor had previously annotated the 'Classic of the Way and Virtue,' 'Laozi,' 'Small Sutras,' and the 'Diamond Sutra.' While the locations of his annotations for the 'Classic of the Way and Virtue' and 'Small Sutras' are known, complete versions of his 'Diamond Sutra' annotations were fragmented until this find. The temple, located in Fangshan District, Beijing, is known for its extensive collection of stone Buddhist scriptures, totaling 14,278 pieces covering 1122 Buddhist texts. Emperor Xuanzong previously annotated other texts like the 'Rushi Dao', 'Dao De Jing', and 'Xiao Jing'. This discovery is considered a key indicator of the strengthening of Chinese national identity in the Beijing region. The temple is undergoing a UNESCO World Heritage application process, with the scripture inscription phase beginning in 2026. Unlike fragmented texts found elsewhere, Yunju Temple's collection of over 600 sutras are fully intact. The discovery was mentioned in a broader discussion that also touched upon foreign tourists' experiences in China and a shortage of foreign language guides.