Ningdu Yongning Temple

Ningdu Yongning Temple

Ningdu Yongning Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yongning Temple is located next to the Shuikou Pagoda on the southern side of Ningdu County in Jiangxi Province. Since its establishment as a county during the Wu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms in the fifth year of the Jiaping era, Ningdu has thrived due to its convenient transportation and prosperous economy, becoming an important town in southeastern Jiangxi. During the Yuan and Qing dynasties, it was designated as a directly administered prefecture, and before and after 1949, it also functioned as an administrative division. It is said that these developments in Ningdu were all thanks to the Shuikou Pagoda and Yongning Temple. To the east of Ningdu County, the Meijiang River winds its way through, and about one kilometer south of the city, it forms a deep pool, which legend says is the lair of a malicious dragon. The dragon caused floods that submerged the city. Local residents, following the advice of a wise Taoist, planned to build a pagoda in the pool to subdue the dragon. They threw large amounts of stones into the water, but the dragon used magic to make the stones vanish without a trace, making it impossible to lay the foundation. At this point, a farmer named Ye Bai donated his treasure basin, filled it with stones, and cast it into the pool. This finally allowed the stones to accumulate into a mountain, on which the Shuikou Pagoda was built to suppress the dragon. Hence, the Shuikou Pagoda is also called the “Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.” Though the dragon was subdued, it remained resentful and sought revenge. To fully control the dragon, people then built the “Yongning Temple” (originally known as “Yongning Temple”) to the south of the Shuikou Pagoda. Since then, the dragon was frequently exposed to the blessings of Buddhist rituals, holy water, and universal salvation ceremonies, causing it to cease its mischief. Ningdu was spared from water disasters and remained safe, while the entire region grew increasingly prosperous. Yongning Temple was initially built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era at the same time as the Shuikou Pagoda, with the temple being constructed because of the pagoda. In the fifth year of the Qing Kangxi reign (1666), Cai Chengyu renovated the temple. Originally called “Yongning Temple,” it was renamed “Taxia Temple” during the Qing Dynasty. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was destroyed, but it was rebuilt in the 1980s and renamed to its current name. Before the Cultural Revolution, the temple was modest in scale, with just three earthen houses covering approximately 100 square meters. After being rebuilt post-Cultural Revolution, the temple expanded continuously, and today it covers a construction area of over 3,000 square meters, with significantly improved building quality. The temple now has over 40 resident monks and staff. In recent years, Hong Kong lay Buddhists have held multiple Water and Land Dharma Assemblies at the temple. Lay practitioners from Guangzhou, Nanchang, Ganzhou, and other places often come here to worship, and Yongning Temple has become an influential Buddhist site in Jiangxi. The temple faces south and backs onto the Shuikou Pagoda. In the years since its reconstruction, structures such as the Main Hall, Zhenjun Hall, Scripture Depository, Dining Hall, Monks’ Quarters, and Guest Rooms have been built year by year. A few years ago, to meet development needs, the Venerable Master Yicheng, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, was invited to conduct an on-site survey. With the involvement of professional technicians and government approval, a master plan for expanding the temple was drawn up. According to the plan, the Mahavira Hall was built in 1996. The hall is two stories high, featuring a double-eave hip-and-gable roof design with a steel-concrete structure, glazed tile roofing, and an antique style that is resplendent and majestic. Inside the hall, statues of the Three Ages of Buddhas, Ananda, Kasyapa, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra are all exquisitely crafted, solemn and dignified. On either side stand eighteen arhats, each life-sized and uniquely posed, with lifelike appearances. Behind the Three Ages of Buddhas, the Guanyin of the Sea Island and other buddhas floating on the sea form a spectacular and dynamic scene with the surrounding landscape. Inside the hall, there is also a large wooden carved palace lantern and three dragon-patterned incense tables, all decorated with three-dimensional or semi-three-dimensional relief patterns depicting Buddhist figures, landscapes, flowers, and birds. These carvings are incredibly vivid, almost coming to life, and are truly considered artistic treasures. On the right side of the temple stands the Nanpu Pagoda of Venerable Master Yinci, Executive Council Member of the Buddhist Association of China and Vice President of the Buddhist Association of Jiangxi Province. The pagoda, meticulously carved from marble, is solemn and imposing. After more than ten years of preparation, Yongning Temple has reached a considerable scale. The fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles, along with the well-arranged Buddhist structures of varying heights, together with the recently renovated Shuikou Pagoda, rely on the green mountains and are accompanied by clear waters, forming a beautiful picture composed of both natural and human landscapes.

The incense-filled and chant-resounding Yongning Temple attracts many wandering monks and nuns seeking temporary lodging, as well as devout men and women who come to offer incense and pray for blessings. Its picturesque scenery and serene environment also draw more visitors who come to admire the sights. This not only adds splendor to Buddhism in Ningdu but also enriches the development of tourism in the area.

Ningdu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province

Phone: 0797--6825756