Xixin Temple

Xixin Temple

Xixin Temple is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

A national AAA-level tourist attraction, located on the picturesque Sheyang Island in Sheyang County, covering an area of 8 hectares. Originally named Zhenlong Temple and Xixin Nunnery, it was first built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620), and during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was ranked among the "Three Pavilions, Nine Temples, Four Taoist Shrines, and Seventy-Two Nunneries" of the Yanfu region. In 1929, Master Yinguang, one of the generals from the 40th Division of the Republic of China’s army and the 13th patriarch of the Pure Land School, served as the abbot of the temple, bringing it to great prominence. It was later destroyed in war. The temple was rebuilt in 1993, with Master Mingshan, then Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, invited to serve as abbot. The current abbot, Venerable Liaochen, is Vice President of the Jiangsu Buddhist Association and President of the Yancheng Buddhist Association. After more than 20 years of development, facilities such as the Mahavira Hall, the Hall of 500 Arhats, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, and the Xixin Vegetarian Restaurant have been completed. The temple boasts grand architecture, an orderly monastic community, lush ginkgo trees, and a gathering of birds, making it a Buddhist cultural sanctuary that integrates tourism, spiritual practice, and cultural exchange. It enjoys national fame and international influence, and is honored with titles such as the “Blessed Land of the Yellow Sea,” “The Premier Buddhist Temple of Jianghuai,” and “National Harmonious Temple.” In 2010, it was recognized as an “Advanced Collective” in the first national campaign for creating harmonious temples, monasteries, and churches by the State Administration for Religious Affairs. The temple’s annual Buddhist events, including the New Year Blessing Ceremony, the God of Wealth Ceremony on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Cultural Art Festival, and the Guanyin Birthday Temple Fair, attract eminent monks, devotees, government and business figures, and tourists from Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Address: South end of Sheyang River Sluice, Sheyang County

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Opening hours:

7:00–18:00

Ticket:

Ticket: 10 RMB

Information source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Yancheng Municipal Committee