Jianzhen Square

Jianzhen Square

Jianzhen, a renowned high monk of the Tang Dynasty, was one of history’s most famous cultural envoys and once practiced at Daming Temple.

At the end of 2013, construction began on Jianzhen Square, located on the south side of Pingshan Hall Road, between Daming Temple and the old north gate of Slender West Lake, to commemorate Jianzhen’s spirit of fearlessly spreading Buddhism to Japan despite great hardships.

Covering an area of 8,500 square meters, Jianzhen Square serves two main purposes: providing small-scale service facilities to facilitate rest for visitors, and acting as an environmental enhancement by erecting a statue of Jianzhen in the square to guide tourists into Daming Temple for sightseeing.

In April 2014, Jianzhen Square was completed, with the stone group sculpture "Jianzhen's Eastward Crossing" attracting particular attention. This sculpture depicts Jianzhen and his six disciples, accented by waves and large rocks, artistically portraying their unwavering determination and sacrifice in promoting Buddhist culture.

In April 2015, the original imitation-stone sculpture was replaced with a real-stone group sculpture of Jianzhen's Eastward Crossing. The new sculpture features vivid expressions—the statue of Master Jianzhen wears a gentle smile and exudes nobility, full of artistic appeal. Other figures display either solemn or smiling expressions, rendered with lifelike detail. Carved from Shandong white hemp stone, the sculpture weighs over 100 tons in total, making it the largest stone group sculpture in Yangzhou.