Nanjing Changlu Temple

Nanjing Changlu Temple

Nanjing Changlu Temple is a cultural relics protection unit of Nanjing.

Nanjing Changlu Temple boasts a grand structure and massive scale, giving rise to the saying “one could ride a horse out of the temple gate.” It is the largest ancient temple in Luhe District and one of the renowned Buddhist temples during the Southern Dynasties period. The ancient Changlu Temple now only has its main hall remaining, which has been repurposed as an exhibition room for the history of Changlu Middle School. In 1983, it was designated as a cultural relics protection unit of Nanjing by the municipal government.

The ancient Changlu Temple is located in Changlu Town, Luhe District, Nanjing. It was initially built during the Putong era (520–526) of Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern Dynasties. At that time, there were numerous Buddhist temples in Jiankang. The late Tang poet Du Mu wrote in his quatrain “Spring in Jiangnan”: “Orioles sing for miles amid red blooms and green trees; By hills and rills wine shop streamers wave in the breeze. Four hundred eighty splendid temples still remain; Of Southern Dynasties in the mist and rain.” This vividly illustrates the prosperity of Buddhism during the Southern Dynasties. Changlu Temple was one of the famous temples among those “four hundred eighty,” standing in distant view across the river from Qixia Temple.

Over the centuries, Changlu Temple has experienced many ups and downs. Historical records indicate that the original site was right next to the riverbank, but the Yangtze River course in this section was very unstable. The embankment frequently collapsed, leading to ongoing damage to the temple complex. According to the Luhe County Annals, in the early Tian Sheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty, large-scale reconstruction of the temple was undertaken. Later, as the riverbank continued to recede, the site was eventually submerged by water in the early Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty. In the 12th year of Chunxi (1185), the temple site was relocated to “the east of Cukou Mountain,” on a meandering sandy ridge (the current location), and rebuilt. The newly constructed temple surpassed the old one in scale, appearing especially majestic and splendid. County annals record that it included halls such as the Three Treasures Hall, the Bodhidharma Ancestor Hall, the Vajra Hall, as well as structures like the Sacred Texts and Treasures Pavilion, the One Reed Hall, the Standing Snow Hall, the Direct Pointing Hall, and the Buddha-Creating Hall. Outside the temple gate, garden-style buildings such as the Reed River Pavilion, the Stone Willow Pavilion, and the Returning Friends Gate were also built. A huge bronze bell weighing over ten thousand jin (approximately 5 metric tons) was cast in imitation of the old temple’s bell and hung in the bell tower.

During its heyday, Changlu Temple was enormously expansive—folklore says, “its front gate led to the Vajra Hall, and its back gate reached Luhe County.” Owing to its great fame, the temple attracted countless literati and poets who came to visit, compose poetry, or write essays. Renowned figures from the Tang Dynasty such as Luo Binwang, Li Bai, Wei Yingwu, Liu Changqing, Meng Jiao, and Wen Tingyun, Song Dynasty figures like Wang Anshi, Su Dongpo, and Qin Guan, and Ming Dynasty personalities including Li Dongyang, Wang Shouren, and Wang Shizhen all visited the temple, drawn by its reputation.