Jinling Scripture Engraving Office

Jinling Scripture Engraving Office

The Jinling Scripture Engraving Office is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Basic type: FIB (Workshop)

Administrative location: No. 35 Huaihai Road, Baixia District, Nanjing

Geographic location: 118°47′08″E, 32°02′20″N

Historical and cultural background:

The Jinling Scripture Engraving Office was founded in the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1866) by the lay Buddhist Yang Renshan. The current office is a Buddhist cultural institution under the leadership of the Buddhist Association of China, serving as a national center for Buddhist research literature and publishing.

Yang Renshan (1837–1911), also known as Wenjie, was from Shidi (now Shitai County), Anhui Province. At the age of 27 (1864), he became interested in Buddhism after obtaining the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" and subsequently co-founded the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office with Wang Meishu and others. He retrieved lost Buddhist texts from the Sui and Tang dynasties through Japanese scholar Nanjio Bunyiu and had them engraved and distributed. In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign (1907), he established a Buddhist school—Zhihuan Jingshe—at the engraving office. In the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign (1910), colleagues founded the Buddhist Research Association, electing Yang Renshan as president, marking the precursor to the China Buddhist Academy. Among Yang’s associates were Tan Sitong and Zhang Taiyan. Tan Sitong’s book "Renxue" was completed at the engraving office in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896). Over forty to fifty years of dedicated effort, Yang Renshan oversaw the engraving of 211 types of Buddhist scriptures totaling 1,155 volumes, involving over 47,000 woodblocks, as well as 18 types of Buddhist images. Following his passing, Yang Renshan was buried in the courtyard of the engraving office, where a stupa was erected in his memory.

When the Japanese invasion forces captured Nanjing, the scripture blocks and buildings of the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office suffered severe damage. In 1952, the Shanghai Buddhist Association established the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office Preservation Committee, with Zhao Puchu as director, and appointed Xu Pingxuan to oversee restoration efforts. That same year, Lü Cheng arrived in Nanjing from the China Buddhist College branch in Jiangjin, Sichuan, bringing with him Buddhist artifacts, materials, and scripture blocks collected by the college, which were then handed over to the engraving office. The first complete reprinting of the "Complete Translation and Writings of Master Xuanzang" was undertaken, consisting of 76 types and 1,347 volumes. In 1973, the Premier issued instructions for the protection and restoration of the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office. The office was fully restored in 1980. In 1981, the scripture engraving and distribution operations resumed, earning widespread acclaim from the Buddhist community both in China and abroad.

Originally built as Yang Renshan’s private residence, the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office covers an area of 11,667 square meters with 132 rooms. It features a brick-engraved sign reading “Jinling Scripture Engraving Office.” Major structures include the Shenliu Hall, Zhihuan Jingshe, Scripture Block Tower, and Yang Renshan’s tomb stupa.

Shenliu Hall faces south, features a flush gable roof, is constructed with brick and timber, and has a tiled roof. It is nine bays deep and eight meters wide, standing six meters tall. In the center of the hall hangs a portrait of Yang Renshan and a plaque inscribed with the name “Shenliu Hall,” written by Zhao Puchu.

The Scripture Block Storage originally was a single-story building but has now been rebuilt as a two-story structure. The door bears a plaque inscribed by Zhao Puchu, and inside are stored 125,318 scripture blocks.

The Stupa was built in 1928 as a hexagonal pagoda, standing 8.88 meters tall, and inscribed with “Stupa of Lay Buddhist Yang Renshan.” It is situated within a courtyard enclosed by patterned windows, covering an area of 165 square meters.

Listed as a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1956.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Issue [2013] No. 13) designated the Jinling Scripture Engraving Office as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Surrounding environment: The Jinling Scripture Engraving Office is located at No. 35 Huaihai Road, surrounded by residential buildings.

Accessible via Bus Routes You 2, 1, 27, 31, 46, 60, and 80.

Xinjiekou Commercial Street Community: Established in April 2000, Xinjiekou Commercial Street Community is situated in the most bustling central area of Nanjing. It stretches from Yanling Lane in the east to Mochou Road in the west, and from Huaihai Road and Shigu Road in the south to Zhongshan East Road and Hanzhong Road in the north. Covering an area of 0.52 square kilometers, the community has 3,960 registered households with a population of 11,776. There are over 2,000 resident institutions, including 10 large shopping malls such as the Central Department Store, New Century Plaza, Dayang Department Store, Golden Eagle, Oriental Plaza, Friendship Store, Hualian Commercial Building, and Walmart Shopping Plaza. The area also includes 22 large office buildings, and the jurisdiction... More details about Xinjiekou Commercial Street Community++

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units