Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history. Interestingly enough
the two Dunhuang manuscripts S.2568 and S.6502
generally called the Commentary on the Dayun jing (大雲經疏)
show the strained interpretations and logics used by the Empress and her patronage to authenticate her as a coming empress. In them
you can see her miraculous acquisition of the relics in the Guangzhai Quarter（光宅坊）in Chang’an
the distribution of these relics
and the construction of 8
040
000 stupas. Prior researches concentrate on the Seven jewel Pagoda（七寶臺）of the Guangzhai Quarter
for the original thirty-two reliefs of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas remained in the Baoqing Temple（寶慶寺）. On the other hand
researches on the literary records regarding the distribution of relics and the construction of stupas by Empress Wu had been so few that her worship for relics remains almost unknown. In this report
I will discuss the records written in the Commentary and its meaning.
