Jiashan Temple in Jianhu

Jiashan Temple in Jianhu

Jiashan Temple in Jianhu is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jiashan Temple

On the west bank of the Jialiang River in Xinyang Village, Jianyang Town, there is a small island about 50 mu in area, on which stands an ancient temple named "Jiashan Temple."

Jiashan Temple is also called Dongyue Temple. According to the *Chronicle of Jiashan Temple in Xinyang Village*, the temple “was first established during the Tang Dynasty, with its founding patriarch being the venerable monk Yongxianggong.” In the past, the temple was highly prominent and was honored as “the largest temple in northern Jiangsu.”

This grand temple faces south and originally had over 360 tiled rooms, 28 courtyards, and 10

main halls. The entire temple is divided into three main sections: left, middle, and right. The central section has three gates aligned in a row, with the central gate bearing a gold-plated plaque inscribed with “Jiashan Chan Temple.” Entering through the east gate leads to the Sanyuan Palace, which houses over 100 statues of deities including Thunder God, Lightning Emperor, Wind Goddess, and Rain Master. Passing through the courtyard is the Yuewang Hall, where the statue of Yue Fei sits majestically in the center, with his son standing by his side, while the treacherous Qin Hui and his wife kneel in front of the statue. In the middle of the courtyard stand two large incense burners over ten feet tall, with incense burning day and night, enveloped in swirling smoke. Behind the Yuewang Hall is another hall that contains over 200 statues of deities, including the Eastern Peak Emperor. The last hall enshrines a large Buddha statue over 2.1 zhang tall. Inside the middle and west gates is the Wenchang Palace, which houses statues of Confucius, his 3,000 disciples, and 72 sages.

During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, the temple reached its peak. At that time, the temple had over 300 monks, and pilgrims visited all year round. Especially during the incense festival from the third day of the third lunar month to the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the temple received over ten thousand visitors daily. Back then, water transportation was extremely convenient, with passenger boats crowding the surrounding rivers and streams. Even devout worshippers from southern Jiangsu came in an endless stream, and high-ranking officials and nobles from Yunnan and Guizhou traveled from afar to pay homage. Many monks who left the temple went on to become abbots and eminent monks elsewhere, spreading across the country. The temple was destroyed during the Anti-Japanese War but has been gradually rebuilt since.

Xinyang Village: Located 3 kilometers west of Xinqiao Village. ... More details about Xinyang Village++