Nanjing Ancient Jiming Temple Guide

This trip to Nanjing, despite the scorching heat at the beginning of the Minor Heat, could not stop us from understanding the history of the development and inheritance of Buddhism in the ancient capital of Nanjing. Having already shared the sights and sounds of Qixia Temple, I will now share the experiences at the ancient Jiming Temple for friends' reference! Jiming Temple, located on the eastern slope of Jilong Mountain in Xuanwu District, Nanjing, is also known as the Ancient Jiming Temple. It was first built in the first year of Yongkang in the Western Jin Dynasty (300 AD), with a history of more than 1,700 years. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples and royal temples in Nanjing, with a continuous stream of incense offerings. It has been praised as the 'First Temple of the Southern Dynasties' and the 'Head of the 480 Temples of the Southern Dynasties.' During the Southern Dynasties, it was as famous as Qixia Temple and Ding Mountain Temple, making it a Buddhist center in China during that period. The history of Jiming Temple can be traced back to the Xuan Temple of Eastern Wu. The site of the temple was part of the rear garden of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period. In the first year of Yongkang in the Western Jin Dynasty (300 AD), a hall was built on the mountain, creating a Taoist site. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, this place was designated as the office of the Minister of Justice. In the first year of Datong in the Southern Liang Dynasty (527 AD), Emperor Wu of Liang built the Tongtai Temple at Jiming Dike and often came to the temple to preach, attracting tens of thousands of listeners. He even renounced his imperial status four times to become a monk, wearing monk's robes instead of the emperor's dragon crown and python robe, living a monk's life in the temple, and was known as the 'Emperor Bodhisattva.' Emperor Wu of Liang issued the 'Prohibition of Alcohol and Meat' decree in the temple, marking the beginning of vegetarianism in Buddhism, making this place a true Buddhist holy land. Due to the emperor's reverence, Tongtai Temple became the Buddhist center of the south at that time. When the Indian monk Bodhidharma came to Jiankang, he resided here. Tongtai Temple was built according to the royal standards, with a grand scale and splendid decorations, living up to its reputation as the 'Head of the 480 Temples of the Southern Dynasties.' During the Southern Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Jingju Temple, and later Yuanji Temple. In the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Fabao Temple. In the 20th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1387 AD), Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the reconstruction and expansion of the temple, and personally inscribed 'Jiming Temple.' After continuous expansions, the temple complex became grand, covering more than a thousand acres, with more than thirty halls, pavilions, and buildings. It was destroyed by fire during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt during the Tongzhi period. In 1958, it was converted into a nunnery. Since 1983, it has been rebuilt according to the scale and style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and gradually opened to the public. In 1992, the crew of 'The Legend of the White Snake' used the Medicine Buddha Pagoda of Jiming Temple to film scenes of Leifeng Pagoda, as the original Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou had collapsed and the new one had not yet been built. Walking up the stone steps on the left side of Jiming Temple, the middle of the mountain gate is inscribed with the four golden characters 'Ancient Jiming Temple.' Entering the mountain gate, the Food Offering Platform (Zhigong Platform) is on the left. In front of the Food Offering Platform is the Maitreya Hall, above which are the Mahavira Hall and the Guanyin Pavilion. Inside the hall are two gilded bronze seated statues of Shakyamuni and Guanyin, donated by Thailand, and thirty-two newly sculpted statues of Guanyin's manifestations, enshrined in the hall. To the east of the Mahavira Hall is the site of the Pingxu Pavilion, and to the west is the Pagoda Courtyard. The Pagoda Courtyard is entirely made of polished blue stone with carved flowers, and the ground is paved with blue stone. The Medicine Buddha Pagoda was rebuilt in 1990. To the left of the Guanyin Pavilion is the Huomeng Pavilion, which is very spacious. To the east of the Huomeng Pavilion is the Jingyang Pavilion, which has a couplet that reads: 'At the foot of Jilong Mountain, the imperial city of Taicheng, the old site of Jingyang Pavilion is revived; by the side of Xuanwu Lake, the ancient well of Rouge, the old view of Tongtai Temple remains.' This couplet contains stories about Jilong Mountain, Taicheng, Xuanwu Lake, Tongtai Temple, and the ancient well of Rouge. These two famous pavilions are places for people to enjoy distant views, and they have now been converted into tea houses and vegetarian restaurants, with windows facing the scenery.