Nanjing Longquan Temple

Nanjing Longquan Temple

Nanjing Longquan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

Nanjing Longquan Temple

Nanjing Longquan Temple The "Longquan Ancient Garden" is a permanent columbarium approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. The first phase of the entire columbarium covers an area of fifty acres. Nestled against mountains and beside water, it enjoys a balanced layout of yin and yang, dense forests like mist, lush fragrant grass, and gatherings of auspicious birds and fragrant flowers. Renowned both domestically and internationally for its naturally enchanting scenery, it can be described as verdant peaks veiled in mist, where heavenly light and earth converge, gathering endless earth energy and spiritual essence.

The Longquan Temple Columbarium is located in the scenic area of southern Nanjing, between General Mountain and Hanfu Mountain, adjacent to Niushou Mountain and the "Two Tombs of the Southern Tang Dynasty." It is considered an auspicious geomantic treasure land favored by emperors, generals, and many virtuous individuals throughout history.

Longquan Temple has a long history. It was originally built during the Tang Dynasty, funded by the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Helin Suseng. After the Tang Dynasty, it gradually declined. In the late Ming Dynasty, Monk Jingzhong raised funds to renovate the temple and renamed it "Tongshan Temple." In the 11th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1801), it was renovated again and reverted to its original name. In 1995, local government and cultural authorities organized experts and scholars to conduct comprehensive investigations and evaluations of the Longquan Temple ruins, followed by a full restoration of the Longquan Chan Temple. A grand consecration ceremony was held in early 1996, making it a new tourist attraction.

The main attractions currently include Longquan Chan Temple, Broken Arm Cliff, Guanyin Cave, Longquan Spring, and Dizang Hall. Broken Arm Cliff is 6 meters high, about 12 meters wide, and 4 meters deep, wider at the front and narrower at the back, with a pointed top and open bottom, resembling a Buddhist shrine. Legend has it that during the Southern Song Dynasty, when Yue Fei battled Jin Wushu on Niushou Mountain, one of Yue Fei’s generals had his arm cut off by Jin soldiers and hid in this cliff cave to recover. He was later discovered by local villagers. To commemorate this anti-Jin general, locals named the place "Broken Arm Cliff" and the mountain "Broken Arm Mountain."

Guanyin Cave is 1.13 meters high and 0.81 meters wide, housing a carved stone statue of Guanyin. The spring water of Longquan seeps from the rocks and gathers beside the temple, forming a small pool. The pool is about 60 centimeters deep, similarly wide, and approximately 70 centimeters long. The water is yellowish and transparent with high density. Above the pool is a carved stone dragon head, through which the water flows, hence the name "Longquan" (Dragon Spring). These two characters were inscribed by Zou Lu in the winter of 1937 (the 26th year of the Republic of China) and embedded in the stone wall at the head of the pool.

Longquan Chan Temple is located in the deep valley between General Mountain and Broken Arm Cliff in Gaojiaku Village, Tieshixin Bridge Subdistrict Office, Yuhuatai District, about 7 kilometers from Zhonghua Gate. A newly built cement road leads to the temple, making transportation relatively convenient.

Within the garden, small bridges stand alone, streams babble, pavilions and towers grow amidst the landscape, winding paths lead to secluded spots, ancient-style waterwheels operate day and night, blue skies and white clouds are reflected at the bottom of the pools, and there are solemn spirit ways with rows of bronze animal statues lining the paths. With every step, the scenery changes, as if one is strolling through a painting. The columbarium garden also fully integrates traditional Chinese virtues, filial piety, and the spirit of ritual, combining memorial rites, religion, architectural art, garden sculpture, and culture into one. It represents a form of human immortality through filial devotion. The service philosophy of the columbarium emphasizes people-oriented principles, respect for beliefs, continuation of the wisdom of the Chinese nation, treating the deceased as if they were alive, expressing boundless mourning, reminiscing about the distant past, contemplating life and death, and ultimately gaining an appreciation for the dignity of life and the inherent tranquility of one's true nature. It fosters recognition of the preciousness and greatness of life, helping one better grasp the present and the future, carrying on the legacy and forging ahead.

Tieshixin Bridge Subdistrict: Tieshixin Bridge Subdistrict is located in the south of Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties. Traveling south along the city’s central main road (Zhongshan South Road) and exiting Zhonghua Gate, it is only 4 kilometers away. It covers a total area of 24 square kilometers with a population of 140,000.

1. Location and Transportation: Tieshixin Bridge is situated in the depth of the main urban development zone in southern Nanjing. It connects to the main urban area and Xinjiekou to the north, just 7 kilometers away; to the east, it links to the high-end residential area of Ningnan; 2 kilometers to the west is the city’s focus area — the CBD central district of Hexi New Town and the Olympic Sports Center sports and leisure cluster; to the southeast, it connects to Jiangning New Town. The area has a well-developed traffic network, with three horizontal and two vertical urban roads closely connected to the main urban area... Detailed information about Tieshixin Bridge Subdistrict++