Rear Hall of Lingying Taoist Temple

Rear Hall of Lingying Taoist Temple

The Rear Hall of Lingying Taoist Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Lingying Taoist Temple is located at the head of Guanqiao on the old street of Xiangcheng Town, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou City. It was first built in the second year of the Xianchun era of the Song Dynasty (1266 AD) by the Taoist priest Zhao Zhuanqing, and was originally named Lingying Taoist Monastery.

During the Yan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1314–1320 AD), the Taoist priest Su Dunan rebuilt the monastery and elevated its status to a temple, renaming it Lingying Taoist Temple.

The existing site of Lingying Taoist Temple stretches 146 meters from east to west and 135 meters from north to south, covering an area of nearly 20,000 square meters. In front of the temple lies a small river, which connects Yangcheng Lake to the east and Jimin Pond to the west. This waterway served as an important transportation route for rice traders from the surrounding areas. On the river sits Guanqiao (also known as Tongxian Bridge), a single-arch stone bridge rebuilt during the Guangxu era, which is a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. According to local elders, the original main gate of Lingying Taoist Temple featured an imposing brick memorial archway. Inside the temple, from south to north, were key structures including the Hall of Thunder God, the Three View Halls, the Jade Emperor Hall, and the Three Pure Ones Hall. There were also numerous side rooms for the use of Taoist monks, as well as scenic spots such as ancient ginkgo trees and a lotus pond.

In 1951, Lingying Taoist Temple was repurposed as a grain storage facility and used by the Xiangcheng Town Grain Management Office. As a result, the old buildings were gradually demolished and rebuilt, leaving only the Jade Emperor Hall. This grand hall is tall and spacious, though its southern facade has been modified, but its internal beam structure remains largely unchanged, preserving the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty. Due to years of neglect and disrepair, the building is no longer suitable for grain storage and has stood vacant for many years. Inside the Jade Emperor Hall today is an ancient stele inscribed with the “Record of Lingying,” documenting the history of the ancient temple. Behind the hall is a stone tablet bearing an inscription. At the northwest corner of the town’s grain management office, one can still find the hall’s former site, where several stone blocks lie scattered in the overgrown grass—likely remnants of other demolished structures.

In July 2009, the Jade Emperor Hall of Lingying Taoist Temple was designated by the municipal government as part of the sixth group of Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units.