Visiting Hongjue Temple in Nanjing in winter

Hongjue Temple is located in Zutang Mountain, Dongshanqiao Town, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, and was first built in the second year of Tianjian in the Southern Dynasty Liang (503 AD). It was initially named 'Foku Temple', and later called 'Hongjue Temple'. In the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the taboo of Emperor Qianlong's name, it was renamed 'Hongjue Temple'. Hongjue Temple is backed by Niushou Mountain, facing Yuntai Mountain, surrounded by mountains on the left and right, and has an excellent geographical location. The southern foot of the mountain is currently the largest underground palace in the Jiangnan region - the Second Mausoleum of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Hongjue Temple is a famous temple in Jinling. It was built by Xu Du, the Minister of Space, in the second year of Emperor Wu of the Southern Dynasty Liang (503 AD). It was originally named Foku Temple and was renamed during the Zhengtong period (1436-1449) of the Ming Dynasty. It was one of the eight national temples in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty. The Hongjue Temple Pagoda is located on the southwest slope of the eastern peak of Niushou Mountain, with an altitude of 180.50 meters. The Hongjue Temple Pagoda was first built in the ninth year of the Tang Dynasty (774 AD). It is said that it was built by Emperor Dezong Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty for 'dreaming and building'. The current pagoda body was rebuilt in the early Ming Dynasty. The Hongjue Temple Pagoda is seven levels and eight sides, 25 meters high, and is built with bricks. Each side of the pagoda opens a pot door, two small windows, and each level has carved wooden eaves. The Hongjue Temple Pagoda is the most majestic brick-wood structure tower in Nanjing. When you climb the tower, you can see the scenery of the southern suburbs. On July 14, 1956, tourists discovered an underground palace on the ground floor of the Hongjue Temple Pagoda. The underground palace is round and square, with cultural relics hidden. After the Nanjing Museum sent people to excavate, a gilt Lama Pagoda was cleaned up. The pagoda is 0.35 meters high and the Sumeru seat is 0.16 meters high. The bottom of the pagoda is engraved with 'Jinling Niushou Mountain Hongjue Zen Temple Yongchong Offering' and 'Buddhist Disciple Royal Supervisor Eunuch Li Fushan Offering' inscriptions.