Taishan Temple in Pukou

Taishan Temple in Pukou

Taishan Temple in Pukou is a cultural tourism attraction.

Taishan Temple in Pukou, also known as "Dongyue Temple," is located at No. 24, Taixi Road, Pukou District, Nanjing. Originally built in the early Ming Dynasty, it was later destroyed during the wars of the Xianfeng era in the Qing Dynasty. In the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign (1855), Monk Deyuan raised funds to rebuild it. At that time, only the central hall and rear hall were reconstructed, with no front hall. The building features a gable-and-hip roof. The rear hall spans five bays, measuring 21.2 meters in width and 8.9 meters in depth, with an eave height of 5.6 meters. In the fifth year of the Guangxu reign (1879), Huang Shilin, the garrison commander of Pukou, ordered the construction of 132 steps from the foot of the mountain to the temple entrance. In 1952, Taishan Temple was completely destroyed.

In June 1986, the Pukou District government handed the temple over to the Nanjing Buddhist Association. The association allocated more than 100,000 yuan in special funds to carry out comprehensive renovations from the mountain gate to the main hall. With approval from the municipal religious affairs bureau, the Nanjing Buddhist Association renamed the temple "Taishan Temple" and assigned Nun Longyue to oversee temple affairs, restoring religious activities. In 1996, a scripture depository was newly built; in 1999, the mountain gate was rebuilt and a western perimeter wall was added. By the end of that same year, construction began on the eastern corridor and inner courtyard walls.

Taishan Temple enshrines 27 large and small gilded Buddha statues, 16 paintings of arhats, one 1.2-meter-tall seated Buddha made of jadeite, as well as statues of the Old Mother of Taishan and the Goddess of Messengers. Among them, the primary deity is the Goddess Bixia Yuanjun of Taishan. Legend has it that she is the daughter of the Taishan God Huang Feihu and can bring blessings, cure illnesses, and ward off disasters for all beings, making her highly revered with flourishing incense offerings.

Before liberation, the 28th day of the third lunar month was the main day of the Taishan Temple Fair. At dawn, the fair would begin, with people holding the "Umbrella of the People," donated by devotees, while carrying the statue of the "Goddess of Taishan" through the streets. At the same time, folk art performances from surrounding towns in northern Jiangsu (including Pukou, Jiangpu, and areas in neighboring Anhui such as Chuzhou, Hexian, and Laian) would gather in Dongmen Town, Pukou. As soon as the statue exited the temple, performers would follow, dancing in the streets with dragon dances, lion dances, stilt walking, dry-land boat performances, and fishermen catching clams. Amid the sound of firecrackers, the performances grew livelier. Acrobatic feats like somersaults and human pyramids brought out impressive moves, drawing cheers from the crowds. After the "parade" ceremony, the statue would be returned to its original place in the temple for worship.

During the temple fair, the summit of Xuanhua Mountain presented another lively scene: people came to pray, fulfill vows, seek blessings, pray for children, or eliminate disasters and cure illnesses, creating a constant flow of visitors throughout the day. Some devout Buddhists, carrying incense bags, would begin their pilgrimage from the first step of the stone staircase at the foot of Taishan Temple, kowtowing and bowing at every step until they reached the main hall. Inside and outside the hall, the sounds of wooden fish and the scent of incense filled the air, creating a strong religious atmosphere—making it one of the foremost Buddhist sites in northern Jiangsu. After liberation, the temple fair was used to host an annual material exchange fair, a tradition that continues to this day.

Scenic Area Address: Taixi Road, Pukou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: In Nanjing, take bus routes 131, 174, 174 Interval, 602, 606, 636, 825, D10, D2, D3, D4, Hanliu Line, or Zhongliu Line, and get off at Taishan Xincun Station. Then walk west along Taixi Road to reach the temple.

Taishan Subdistrict: Taishan Subdistrict is located at the northern end of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, separated from the main urban area of Nanjing by the river but connected by the bridge. It serves as the northern gateway of Jiangbei, covering an area of 45 square kilometers, with a permanent population of over 100,000 and a floating population of over 50,000. It governs 14 communities.

Since the establishment of the new Pukou District, Taishan Subdistrict has actively integrated into the development strategies of the Yangtze River economic zone and Nanjing’s cross-river expansion. Focusing on urbanization, it implemented large-scale demolition projects. Starting in 2003, over six years, it completed the relocation of 20,000 households, demolishing 2.6 million square meters of buildings, and resettling 50,000 agricultural residents as urban dwellers. Economic development... Taishan Subdistrict detailed information++