Jiming Temple 鸡鸣寺

About Jiming Temple

Its present ensemble includes substantial modern reconstruction, including the seven-storey, eight-sided Medicine Buddha Pagoda. The Guanyin Hall is distinctive for its north-facing image, explained by the inscription about the bodhisattva turning back toward sentient beings. Follow the main worship spaces uphill toward the pagoda, comparing the enclosed halls with the wider lake-facing setting. Individual buildings remain religious spaces, and access to upper levels should not be assumed.

The temple was rebuilt and given its present name in the twentieth year of the Hongwu era (洪武), 1387. Further expansions took place during the Xuande (宣德), Chenghua (成化) and Hongzhi (弘治) eras. It was destroyed during the Xianfeng era (咸丰) and rebuilt on a reduced scale during the Tongzhi era (同治). In 1958, it became a monastery for Buddhist nuns.

The Medicine Buddha Pagoda (药师佛塔) was newly built in 1991 to a height of 44.8 metres. It houses a Ming-dynasty bronze statue of the Medicine Buddha (药师琉璃光如来佛像), transferred from Yonghe Palace (雍和宫) in Beijing in 1972. From the second storey upward, each level contains four Ming-dynasty nanmu-wood niches. These hold nanmu images of the Medicine Buddha, with twenty-four images in total.

What to look for

• Medicine Buddha Pagoda gives the hillside complex its seven-storey, octagonal silhouette.
• The north-facing Guanyin image and its accompanying inscription distinguish the Guanyin Hall.

The surrounding area

The provincial capital suits museums and major historical sites; reserve time for different districts instead of treating it as one walking circuit.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jiming Temple

Approach 1 Jimingsi Road on Jilong Hill, near Xuanwu Lake. Jimingsi metro station provides a named public-transport approach to the temple area.