Nanjing Jiuhua Mountain

Nanjing Jiuhua Mountain

Jiuhua Mountain Park is situated in the eastern part of Nanjing and is the first hill where the western extension of the Zhongshan Mountain Range enters the city. To the north, it is separated by the Ming city wall and neighbors Xuanwu Lake. The lakeside side is steep and sheer, resembling an overturned boat, which is why it was called Fuzhou Mountain in ancient times.

Although located in the bustling city, Jiuhua Mountain enjoys a tranquil and serene atmosphere, hence it is known as a “city forest.” It was once an imperial garden called Leyouyuan. The mountain features a temple within, a pagoda at the top, a lake nearby, and a city below, earning it the reputation as one of the “Forty-eight Scenic Spots of Jinling,” known as “Jiuhua’s Brushwork.”

The Sanzang Pagoda at the summit of Nanjing Jiuhua Mountain Park was built in imitation of the Xuanzang Tomb Pagoda at Xingjiao Temple in Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty. On the bluestone base of the pagoda, there is also an engraving of the portrait of the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang and the route of his westward journey for Buddhist scriptures. Beneath the pagoda lies the buried skull relic of Xuanzang, which has further enhanced the fame of Nanjing Jiuhua Mountain both in China and abroad.

According to historical records, during the Song Dynasty, Monk Kefashi from Tianxi Temple in Jinling obtained the skull relic of Tang Dynasty’s Xuanzang from Shaanxi. After bringing it back to Jinling, he built a stone pagoda on the eastern hill of Tianxi Temple to enshrine the relic. During the Taiping Rebellion, the Sanzang Pagoda was destroyed in the war, and the sacred bone of Xuanzang was lost. During the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese invaders excavated a stone case containing the skull relic of Xuanzang from the original site. This discovery caused a huge sensation in the Buddhist community. The Japanese attempted to claim the relic, which provoked strong public outrage. After repeated negotiations by the Wang Jingwei puppet government, it was finally agreed that half of the monk’s skull relic would be preserved and placed in a newly constructed Sanzang Pagoda on Jiuhua Mountain. After Japan’s surrender, the other half of the relic was also retained and, after the liberation, was housed in the Xuanzang Memorial Hall at Linggu Temple.

Today, Jiuhua Mountain Park has rebuilt the Xuanzang Temple, restored the Sanzang Pagoda, and erected a 3-meter-tall stone statue of Master Xuanzang from the Tang Dynasty in front of the pagoda. This complements the original “Westward Journey for Scriptures” mural, making the Sanzang Pagoda on Jiuhua Mountain a major historical scenic attraction in the urban area.