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Explore the region
About Daming Temple
It is closely associated with Jianzhen, the monk who later carried Buddhist teachings to Japan.
The Jianzhen Memorial Hall recalls the architectural style of Tōshōdai-ji in Nara and contains a seated image of the monk. Pingshan Hall offers a different literary and landscape connection through Ouyang Xiu. Compare the central worship spaces with these two memorial settings, allowing for separate access to individual halls.
The temple takes its name from the Daming era (453-464 AD) of the Liu Song dynasty's Emperor Xiaowu, during whose reign it was built. A nine-story Qiling Tower was later added to house Buddhist relics under an edict of the Sui dynasty's Emperor Wen in 601, and the temple came to be called Qiling Temple. In the Qing dynasty, the name Daming was avoided because of its association with the Ming dynasty, and the temple was renamed Qiling Temple (栖灵寺); in 1765, the Qianlong Emperor granted it the name Fajing Temple (法净寺). In 1922 the Japanese scholar Tokiwa Daijo (常盘大定) built a pavilion, a gallery and a memorial hall in front of the temple in honor of Jianzhen.
The temple is arranged around the hill in three parts: the central section holds the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Great Hall; the eastern section holds Pingyuan Hall and the Jianzhen Memorial Hall, whose seated statue of Jianzhen was made using a dry-lacquer technique built up over a linen wrapping; and the western section holds Pingshan Hall (平山堂) and the Si Garden. Pingshan Hall was built in 1048 by the Song-dynasty scholar-official Ouyang Xiu while he was prefecture chief of Yangzhou, and is named for its view, in which distant mountains appear level with the line of sight.
What to look for
- Jianzhen Memorial Hall connects the Yangzhou temple with Tōshōdai-ji in Japan.
- Pingshan Hall links the hillside setting with Ouyang Xiu’s literary history.
Background & history
Daming Temple (Chinese: 大明寺; pinyin: Dàmíng Sì) is a temple located at the middle peak of Shugang Mountain (蜀冈山), Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China. This temple is known for a famous monk, Jianzhen, who studied the sutras and initiated people into monkhood here in 742 AD before he left for Japan.
Excerpt from Wikipedia: Daming Temple · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.
The surrounding area
A separate city for morning tea, historic streets and Slender West Lake. An overnight stay makes breakfast part of the visit.
Location & getting there
Getting to Daming Temple
Approach Daming Temple on Shugang’s middle peak in northern Yangzhou, choosing the temple visitor entrance for the uphill complex.
Combine your visit
A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.
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Central worship halls
Begin with the temple’s main Buddhist arrangement.
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Jianzhen Memorial Hall
Explore the connection with the monk’s journey to Japan.
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Pingshan Hall
Finish with the literary and landscape viewpoint.
This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.
Find Daming Temple
大明寺 · 扬州市
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Slender West Lake 瘦西湖
2 km awaySlender West Lake winds through a restored garden landscape northwest of Yangzhou’s old city. Its narrow waterway developed from earlier moats and canals, later bordered by wealthy merchants’ estates.
View guide →Geyuan Garden 个园
4 km awayGeyuan in Yangzhou uses different rocks and planting to represent the four seasons. Bamboo provides the recurring green setting, while the seasonal rockeries create contrasting textures and colours.
View guide →Yangzhou Museum 扬州博物馆
5 km awayYangzhou Museum shares the western-city Double Museum building with the China Block Printing Museum. Its collection connects the canal city with archaeology and decorative arts, including the celebrated Yuan blue-glazed vase…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Daming Temple” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366875992.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Daming Temple” · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Daming Temple", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366875992.