Tang Dynasty Buddhist Sutra Manuscripts

Timeline

1. 800–900Mogao Caves, Dunhuang · DunhuangNinth-century Dunhuang temples and devotees continued copying scriptures such as the Diamond Sutra and Lotus Sutra; manuscripts used hemp or paper mulberry paper with vermilion column rulings, and colophons often recorded the copyist, merit patron, and date, reflecting the Hexi region's tradition of merit-making through sutra copying.
2. c. 845–850Temple system of Chang'an–Luoyang · ShaanxiDuring the Huichang era the court ordered temples destroyed and monks defrocked; manuscripts held in temples of the two capitals and various prefectures were largely burned or scattered. Some scriptures were secretly carried by devotees to frontier regions, forming a stark contrast with the manuscripts later sealed in the Dunhuang library cave.