According to the Asian News Network, China’s oldest temple aims to position itself as a major Buddhist hub. Built in 68 CE, the White Horse (Baima) Temple, in Luoyang, in China’s Henan province, has a colorful history. The ANN reports:
According to legend, the Eastern Han Emperor Yongping (reign: AD 57-75) dreamed of a golden figure with a halo, which his advisers assumed was the Buddha, in India. Emissaries were sent abroad to learn more about Buddhism and they returned years later with two Indian monks on white horses, bearing sutras and statues…. In light of its history, Baima aims to become a leading center of Buddhism in Asia and has an Indian Buddhist shrine made entirely of Indian materials, a gift from the Indian government that was completed last year. Nearby, a Thai Buddhist shrine, built in 1992, is being expanded.
The temple has been rebuilt, and little remains of the original. Also, the original temple lacked air-conditioning, but that has been remedied. You can read the ANN report here.