Yangzhou Tianning Temple

Yangzhou Tianning Temple

Yangzhou Tianning Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

Located at No. 3 Fengle Shangjie, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, it is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province. Legend has it that it was once the villa of Xie An, and later donated as a temple by his son, Situ Xie Yan, hence also known as Xie Situ Temple. In the second year of the Zhenghe era during the Song Dynasty (1112), Emperor Huizong bestowed the name “Tianning Chan Temple.” The temple was destroyed in the late Yuan Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Hongwu era during the Ming Dynasty (1382) and still called Tianning Temple. In the Qing Dynasty, it ranked first among the eight great ancient temples of Yangzhou. The heyday of Tianning Temple was during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Kangxi inscribed plaques for the temple including “Xiaoxian” (Leisurely Tranquility), “Haoyue Chanzhi” (Pure Heart under the Bright Moon), “Jihuai Lanzhu” (Expressing Affection for Orchid and Bamboo), “Bore Miaoyuan” (Wonderful Source of Prajna), and “Jingyin” (Pure Cause), and wrote poems such as “Tianning Temple,” “Visiting Tianning Temple,” and “Recalling the Bamboo of Tianning Temple in Yangzhou,” as well as the couplet “Pearl-like sun makes spring days eternal, emerald hues bring pleasant breezes aplenty.” In the 22nd year of the Qianlong era (1757), an imperial palace, imperial garden, and imperial dock were constructed within the temple grounds. Emperor Qianlong inscribed over ten plaques for the temple, including “Huainan Xiangjie” (Fragrant Realm of Huainan), “Fushan Huahai” (Splendid Ocean of Floating Mountains), “Shenwei Fuyong” (Divine Power Protects), and “Shengfang Shijiao” (Teaching Across the Land), along with over ten pairs of couplets such as “Flower rains in southern skies, divine scriptures convey profound truths; incense clouds on Sichuan ridges, former villas mark famed sites,” and over ten poems such as “Resting Briefly at Tianning Temple.” In the 44th year of the Kangxi era (1705), Cao Yin, grandfather of the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, Cao Xueqin—who at the time served as Jiangning Textile Commissioner and Inspector of Salt Affairs for Lianghuai—was ordered by Kangxi to publish the Complete Tang Poems in Yangzhou, establishing the “Yangzhou Poetry Bureau” inside the temple, where he also printed the Peiwen Yunfu. During his six southern tours, Emperor Qianlong stayed five times at the imperial palace within the temple.

The exhibition hall of the Yangzhou Buddhist Culture Museum is located inside the Huayan Pavilion (also known as the Scripture Depository). Yangzhou is one of the earliest regions in China where Buddhist culture spread. Historical records indicate that Buddhism was introduced to Yangzhou in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, and by the late Eastern Han, a man from Danyang named Zerong built the earliest Buddhist temple in the southern Yangtze region in Yangzhou. During the Tang Dynasty, there were more than 40 temples in Yangzhou, making it one of the most active centers of Buddhism in China. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Yangzhou has been renowned for its scripture engraving, making significant contributions to the dissemination of Buddhism. Yangzhou’s culture carries a unique Buddhist essence, with key exhibits highlighting stories such as “Zerong Worshipping Buddha,” “Emperor Yang Guang Receiving Ordination,” “Jianzhen’s Eastward Crossing,” and “The Legend of Tianning Temple.”

In April 2014, the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries Exhibition Hall was established in the Wanfo Building of Tianning Temple. This set of the Complete Library was donated to the Yangzhou Municipal Government by Hengtong Group. It is the first set in China to be reproduced in full color and format based on the original Wenjin Pavilion edition of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, produced by Yangzhou Guoshu Culture Communication Co., Ltd. To house the 36,000 volumes of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, a total of 128 bookshelves and 6,144 wooden cases were used. Both the bookshelves and wooden cases were made from imported nanmu wood. The covers of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries are colored green, red, blue, and gray, corresponding to the four divisions of “Classics, Histories, Philosophers, and Collections,” and are displayed on their respective shelves.

The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries was compiled under the supervision of Emperor Qianlong, by over 360 high-ranking officials and scholars including Ji Yun, and transcribed by more than 3,800 people, taking thirteen years to complete. The series is divided into four categories: Classics, Histories, Philosophers, and Collections—hence the name “Four Treasuries.” It contains over 3,500 types of books, 79,000 volumes, 36,000 books, and approximately 800 million characters, essentially encompassing all ancient Chinese books, hence called the “Complete Library.” At the time, Emperor Qianlong ordered the handwritten copying of seven sets of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries. The first four sets were stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City, the Wensu Pavilion in Shenyang, the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Old Summer Palace, and the Wenjin Pavilion in Chengde, Hebei—known as the “Northern Four Pavilions.” The latter three sets were stored in the Wenhui Pavilion in Yangzhou, the Wenzong Pavilion in Zhenjiang, and the Wenlan Pavilion in Hangzhou—known as the “Southern Three Pavilions.”

The Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics Art Plaza is situated on both sides of the pathway between the Heavenly King Hall and the Mahavira Hall of Tianning Temple, covering a lawn area of about 300 square meters. It was completed in the autumn of 2015. To showcase the historical connection between Tianning Temple and the Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics, based on the painting “Gathering of the Eight Eccentrics” by Li Yuduo from the late Qing Dynasty, the plaza features bronze statues of the Eight Eccentrics. Their sizes are similar to those of the original figures. They are Bada Shanren, Jin Nong, Huang Shen, Li Fangying, Zheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao), Li Shan, Gao Xiang, and Luo Pin. At the age of 35, Zheng Banqiao stayed at Tianning Temple in Yangzhou while studying. Jin Nong also resided at the temple for a time, doing work such as transcribing scriptures. Meanwhile, the Eight Eccentrics’ friends often gathered at the temple to discuss philosophy, practice Zen, and showcase art, forming an inseparable bond with Tianning Temple. At the feet of each bronze statue of the Eight Eccentrics lies a personal seal, accompanied by scenic stones and stone desks. The scenic stones feature carefully selected representative poems of each of the Eight Eccentrics, such as Luo Pin’s “Releasing Cranes in the Bamboo Grove” and Jin Nong’s “Inscription on Autumn Bamboo.” For Zheng Banqiao, it is the line: “Lying in my official quarters, I hear the rustling bamboo, and suspect it is the sound of people’s suffering. We are but minor officials of the district, yet every twig and leaf is of concern.” (From “Painting Bamboo in the Weixian Office Presented to My Paternal Uncle Magistrate Bao”) The plaza showcases the diverse artistic talents of the “Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics.”

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units