Memorial Hall of Jianzhen

Memorial Hall of Jianzhen

The Memorial Hall of Jianzhen is a base for patriotic education.

Master Jianzhen was a renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang Dynasty who served as the abbot of Daming Temple. At the age of 56, he made six attempts to cross the sea to Japan over a period of ten years. Despite becoming blind, he remained steadfast in his mission. Jianzhen’s eastward journey not only introduced Japanese Buddhism’s Ritsu and Tendai sects but also brought along flourishing Tang Dynasty culture including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, medicine, crafts, printing, and architecture. He is honored as the “Benefactor of Japanese Culture” and the “Messenger of Sino-Japanese Friendship.”

In 1963, the 1200th anniversary of Jianzhen’s passing, Japan held the “Jianzhen Year” events. Premier Zhou Enlai adopted the suggestion of Zhao Puchu to “use civil society forces” to promote the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations, and commemorative activities for Jianzhen were simultaneously held within China’s Buddhist and cultural circles. The State Council also decided to build the Memorial Hall of Jianzhen at Daming Temple, with Premier Zhou personally appointing the renowned Chinese classical architecture expert Liang Sicheng to lead the design. Construction of the Memorial Hall began in 1973 and was completed in November 1974.

The Memorial Hall of Jianzhen consists of two architectural complexes: one features the Sisong Hall as the main exhibition space, displaying historical photos and maps related to Jianzhen’s journey to Japan; the other has a memorial stele pavilion to the south and the main hall of the memorial temple to the north, connected by an 80-meter-long surrounding corridor that forms a Tang-style courtyard. In 2004, the Memorial Hall of Jianzhen was named one of “China’s 100 Classic Buildings.”

Inside the stele pavilion stands a white marble horizontal stele resting on a lotus pedestal. The inscription on the stele is engraved in intaglio. The front bears nine large characters written by Guo Moruo: “Memorial Stele of Master Jianzhen of the Tang Dynasty”; the back is inscribed with a long celebratory poem and preface composed by Zhao Puchu to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of Jianzhen’s passing.

The main hall of the Memorial Hall, designed and built in imitation of the Golden Hall of Tōshōdai-ji Temple in Japan, is the central structure. At the center of the hall is a seated statue of Jianzhen. This statue was replicated day and night by artisans from Yangzhou when the original seated statue of Jianzhen from Tōshōdai-ji was exhibited at Daming Temple in Yangzhou in April 1980. The seated Jianzhen has his hands folded on his knees, his left foot resting atop his right, sitting cross-legged. His eyes are gently closed, his expression serene and kind, radiating both tranquility and resolve. On the eastern and western walls of the main hall are four silk paintings depicting scenes from Jianzhen’s life and his eastward journey.

The Jianzhen Memorial Hall is a patriotic education base in Jiangsu Province. In 2013, it was officially designated by the State Administration for Religious Affairs as a national “Patriotic Education Base for the Religious Community.”

Today, Master Jianzhen has become a city brand for the ancient city of Yangzhou and a cultural bond for people-to-people exchanges and cultural interaction between China and Japan. Since the beginning of this century, Yangzhou has successively established the Jianzhen Buddhist College, Jianzhen Library, and Jianzhen Academy of Painting and Calligraphy. Additionally, at the foot of Daming Temple and by the Slender West Lake, the Jianzhen Square was built, featuring a massive relief sculpture depicting “Jianzhen’s Eastward Journey.” In 2006, the China Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, named after Jianzhen, was officially launched in Yangzhou. It has been held for 11 consecutive years, attracting hundreds of thousands of domestic and international runners and local citizens to participate. The event has been rated a “Gold Label Race” by World Athletics three times in a row.