Yongqing Nunnery in Gaochun

Yongqing Nunnery in Gaochun

Yongqing Nunnery in Gaochun is a cultural heritage site protected by Nanjing Municipality.

In Yaxi Town, Gaochun County, there is an ancient temple from the Yuan Dynasty called Yongqing Nunnery. Most temple gates face south, but Yongqing Nunnery’s gate faces east. According to the Gaochun County Annals, the nunnery was originally named “Yongqing Temple.” It is said that the name was changed from “temple” to “nunnery” to commemorate a woman associated with an emperor.

Yongqing Nunnery is located on Jing Mountain in Yongqing Village, Yaxi Town. Following a winding concrete road into a bamboo grove, a historic building under renovation came into view for the reporter. Yang Chunhua, the only resident near the ancient nunnery, is very familiar with its legends. Yang Chunhua said the place was originally called Yongqing Temple. He heard from his elders that Yongqing Temple was once also called Jinshan Temple, dating back nearly a thousand years. It is possible that because of a nearby “Jing Mountain,” “Jinshan Temple” became phonetically similar and thus earned its name.

Since temples are typically built in palace style with gates facing south, the reporter noticed that Yongqing Nunnery’s main gate faces east. Yang Chunhua said local legend has it that the “east-facing gate” symbolizes “facing the Azure Dragon,” indicating that an emperor once visited the site. Legend has it that during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor traveled here and developed feelings for a local woman. Later, the woman gave birth to a son who later became a top imperial scholar. When the emperor learned of this, he sent people to investigate. To protect her son’s and the emperor’s reputations, the woman became a nun at a small nunnery not far from Jinshan Temple. When the emperor came to meet her, she sacrificed herself in a fire. Later, locals renamed “Jinshan Temple” to “Yongjing Temple.” The emperor then intentionally dropped the character “Jing” and changed it to “Yongqing Temple.” It is further said that it was later renamed “Yongqing Nunnery,” as a tribute to the woman.

According to the Gaochun County Annals, Yongqing Nunnery was destroyed by war during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, a monk named Honggen traveled here and, seeing the excellent feng shui, raised funds to rebuild the temple on its ruined foundations. Yongqing Nunnery consists of three rooms in two courtyards, separated by a central patio, with wing rooms on both sides, most of which feature classical wooden structures with carved details.