Jiming Temple
鸡鸣寺
An ancient temple from the Southern Dynasties and the first of the 'Four Hundred and Eighty Temples of the Southern Dynasties'. The Medicine Buddha Pagoda framed by a cherry blossom avenue is the emblem of spring in Nanjing.
Jiming Temple lies on the eastern slope of Jilong Mountain in Xuanwu District. It was first built in the Western Jin dynasty and expanded during the Southern Dynasties as Tongtai Temple, when Emperor Wu of Liang four times gave up his rank to take monastic vows here. It is the first of the 'Four Hundred and Eighty Temples of the Southern Dynasties'. Most of the buildings you see today were rebuilt after the 1980s. It is one of Nanjing's oldest Buddhist temples and also a nunnery.
Highlights: the mountain gate and the vegetarian restaurant, whose vegetarian noodles and buns are well known; the Medicine Buddha Pagoda, seven stories high with eight sides, where you can look out over Xuanwu Lake and Purple Mountain from the top; the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Pavilion and Huomeng Tower; and, behind the temple, a route up to the Jiefang Gate section of the Taicheng city wall. From mid to late March, the cherry trees on both sides of Jiming Temple Road bloom pink and white, creating Nanjing's most classic spring scene together with the yellow walls and the pagoda. Because of this, the bloom season draws huge crowds, and entry often requires a booking. Tickets cost 10 yuan (including three sticks of incense). During the cherry blossom season and on public holidays, book through the official WeChat account, and observe the temple's rules when offering incense. On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day there are bell-ringing ceremonies for blessings.
Getting there: a 3-minute walk from Exit 5 of Jiming Temple station on Metro Lines 3 and 4.
Recommended: arrive before 8 a.m., enjoy the cherry blossoms before entering the temple, climb the pagoda, then go up to the Taicheng wall from the rear gate, walk along the wall to Xuanwu Gate and descend to Xuanwu Lake. The whole route takes about 2 hours.
Note: shorts and slippers are not allowed in the temple, and photography is prohibited inside the halls. During the cherry blossom season, Jiming Temple Road is one-way on weekends and very crowded.
Opening hours
7:30 AM–5:00 PM (extended during cherry blossom season and holidays; reservations required)
Nearby sights
- Taicheng City Wall
- Zifeng Tower
- Xuanwu Lake
- John Rabe House
- Nanjing 1912 Block
- Presidential Palace
- Six Dynasties Museum
- Meiyuan New Village Memorial Hall