On the one hand, there is its status as one of Nanjing’s most popular attractions, with its supreme wooden architecture as backdrop to Buddhist observance, playing the role of nunnery to converts stationed within.
On the other, the crowds are unbearable for the most part, souvenir shops and snack vendors abound, while makeshift exhibitions are somewhat out of place, if not an insult to its enduring legacy as a centre of Buddhism and as a peaceful retreat that continues to attract pilgrims and tourists alike. Welcome to Jiming Temple in Nanjing.
A famed springtime destination for the cherry blossom lined road leading thereto, Jiming Temple is dominated by a seven-story pagoda overlooking Xuanwu Lake. It’s a wooden structure that is also one of the oldest wooden buddhist temples in the world, facts that give photographers a field day in capturing it and the modern iconic Zifeng Tower in the same frame. No more contrast necessary.
Over 1,700 years old, the site was initially part of the Eastern Wu Kingdom’s royal garden, later becoming a Buddhist temple during the Western Jin Dynasty.
Enter Emperor Hongwu, he who founded the Ming dynasty right here in Nanjing in 1368. He renamed the Temple as that it enjoys to this day, expanding and rebuilding it into a large complex with more than 30 halls spread over 66 hectares of land.
It was a heyday that would last as long as the Qing Dynasty, which saw Jiming Temple destroyed in wars, but nevertheless reconstructed on many occasions.
The last major restoration took place in 1983, one which revived its Ming-Qing architectural style, leading to its 44-metre tall tower to be rebuilt in 1990.
While Jiming Temple can certainly offer spiritual reflection to those who seek it, others may visit simply for a slice of history, or even lunch in the famed vegetarian restaurant that lies next door (reservations now essential).
Movie buffs will also revel in the fact that the Temple served as a filming location for 1992 TV drama “The Legend of the White Snake”.
Today, Jiming Temple functions as a nunnery and houses the Jiangsu Buddhist College for Nuns, promoting Buddhist education.
Located at 1 Jimingsi Lu in Xuanwu District, the Temple is open daily from 07:30-17:00 Admission is ¥10, incense included.
