Nanjing Jiming Temple

Chinese Name: 古鸡鸣寺
Add: No. 1 Jimingsi Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing南京市玄武区鸡鸣寺路1号
Opening Time: 07:30-17:00
Tickets: 10 CNY
Tel: (+0086) 025-83361123,025-57715595

Nanjing Jiming Temple

Jiming Temple, also known as Ancient Jiming Temple, is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Nanjing. During the Qingming Festival, you can enjoy the sea of cherry blossoms on the road in front of the temple. In summer, you can climb up the Medicine Buddha Pagoda and overlook the lotus flowers in Xuanwu Lake.

Ancient Temple History

The history of Jiming Temple can be traced back to Qixuan Temple in the Eastern Wu Dynasty. The site of the temple was located in the back garden of the State of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. In 300 years (the first year of Yongkang in the Western Jin Dynasty), a house was built here against the mountain and a Taoist temple was established. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it was established as the Tingwei Office. In 527 (the eighth year of Liangtong in the Southern Dynasty), Emperor Wu of Liang built it in Jimingdai, making it a real Buddhist resort. In 1387 (the 20th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty), Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the demolition of the old house, expansion of the scale, and reconstruction of the temple. Zhu Yuanzhang’s inscription is “Jiming Temple”. Later, it was expanded during the Xuande, Chenghua, and Hongzhi years of the Ming Dynasty, and the courtyard has a large scale. Later, the ancient temple was destroyed by the war in Xianfeng. Although it was rebuilt during the Tongzhi period, the scale has been greatly reduced, but the incense has always been strong.

mountain gate

The gate of Jiming Temple is located on the stone steps on the left side of Jiming Temple Road, and in the middle of the gate are four gold characters of “Ancient Jiming Temple”. Stepping into the mountain gate, the environment in the temple is very elegant, the Buddhist hall is exquisite, the incense is lingering, the altar is on the left, the Maitreya Hall is in front of the stage, and the Daxiong Hall and the Guanyin Tower are above it. In addition, there are other main buildings in the temple, such as Weituo Hall, Zhi cemetery, Buddhist scripture building, Buddhist hall, and pharmacist pagoda.

Daxiong Palace

Daxiong Hall, also known as Pilu Hall, is the main hall of Jiming Temple. In the center of the hall, Pilu Buddha (Dharma Body Buddha Statue) is enshrined in the center of the hall. On both sides are Manjusri and Puxian Bodhisattvas. .

Medicine Buddha Pagoda

The pharmacist pagoda has seven floors and eight sides, and a bronze statue of pharmacist Buddha is enshrined in the pagoda. This tower is also the place where the Leifeng Pagoda was filmed in the TV series “Legend of the New White Snake” (the Leifeng Pagoda in West Lake had collapsed at that time, and the new one had not yet been repaired).

praying to buddha

In the temple, you can ask for a sign, and you can also write a wish card and hang it up. On the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, the ninth day of the sixth month, and the nineteenth day of September (that is, the anniversary of the birth, enlightenment, and renunciation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva), many tourists come here to worship Buddha and offer incense. Worshiping Buddha is not in the main hall, but on the big platform in front of the incense platform. There is a huge red candle in front of the incense stand, a row of lotus oil lamps on the outer stage for pilgrims to burn incense, and a column of burning incense on the inner stage.

Rouge well

There is also a rouge well in the northeast of the temple. According to legend, when Chen was destroyed in the Sui Dynasty, Chen Shubao, the empress of Chen, and his concubines Zhang Lihua and Kong Guifei once hid in the well. Because of this past event, many tourists come here admiringly.

Nanjing Jiming Temple Tourist Map

Nanjing Jiming Temple Video

Nanjing Jiming Temple Travel Guide

must see tips

If the Medicine Master Pagoda is being repaired, you will not be able to climb the pagoda, but you can see the Buddha statue on the first floor.
The plain noodles in Jiming Temple are also very famous, about 15 yuan per bowl, you might as well try it.