The Millennium Ancient Temple | Daming Temple in Yangzhou

Daming Temple, located on the middle peak of Shugang in the northwest suburbs of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, was named for its initial construction during the Daming years of Emperor Xiaowu of the Southern Song Dynasty (457-464 AD). Over the past 1500 years, the temple's name has undergone many changes, and the temple we see now was built during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, when Master Jianzhen served as the abbot of Daming Temple, he traveled to Japan to teach Buddhist scriptures and Chinese culture, making Daming Temple an important ancient temple in the history of Sino-Japanese Buddhist and cultural relations. The Daming Temple is divided into three parts: the central part is the main temple architecture, the eastern part is the Qiling Pagoda, and the western part is the garden-style backyard. The main temple buildings in the central area of the scenic spot are divided into three routes running from south to north. Along the central axis from south to north are the archway, the mountain gate, and the Mahavira Hall. The western route mainly features Ouyang Xiu; to the south is the Pingshan Hall built by Ouyang Xiu when he was the governor of Yangzhou, and to the north is the Gulin Hall built by Su Dongpo when he held the same position. Further north is the Jianzhen Memorial Hall, with the Sutra Depository Tower to its east. The Qiling Pagoda in the eastern part was originally built by Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty to celebrate his birthday. The pagoda we see now is a reconstruction of the Sui Dynasty's pagoda, with 9 stories, housing Buddhist relics and a nanmu Buddha pagoda inside. Visitors can climb to the top of the pagoda to overlook the entire Daming Temple and gaze into the distance at the Slender West Lake. The Jianzhen Memorial Hall is the most important building in Daming Temple. Jianzhen traveled to Japan six times, bringing Chinese Buddhism and culture to Japan. He presided over the construction of the Toshodai-ji in Nara, Japan, and eventually passed away there. The Jianzhen Memorial Hall was built to mimic the style of Toshodai-ji. 📍Detailed address: No. 8, Pingshan Hall East Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province 🚉Transportation strategy: {Get on at Yangzhou Railway Station}, take bus route You 1 to Daming Temple Station, walk for 5 minutes to reach. {Get on at Yangzhou East High-speed Railway Station}, take bus route You 3 to Pingshan Hall Ecological Parking Lot Station, walk for 5 minutes to reach. {Get on at Jiangdu Railway Station}, take bus route 99 to Wanfuzha East Station, transfer to bus route You 3 to Pingshan Hall Ecological Parking Lot Station, walk for 5 minutes to reach. 🕙Business hours: 08:00-16:30 Ticket price: 45 yuan