Ancient Mingjing Temple

Ancient Mingjing Temple

Ancient Mingjing Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ancient Mingjing Temple, located at the end of Beiguan North Road in Chaozhou City, was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1364–1644). It served as a branch temple of Kaiyuan Temple and originally functioned as a place for managing monks who had violated monastic rules. In the 11th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1672), monk Jiyuan raised funds to build the rear section. In the 9th year of the Yongzheng reign (1731), Prefect Hu Xun oversaw its renovation. In the early years after liberation, the temple emphasized both farming and Buddhist practice, and monks used it as a residence.

In 1957, it was used as a farm, and during the Cultural Revolution, it was occupied, leading to the collapse of its buildings and complete loss of its original appearance. In 1986, religious property policies were reinstated, and ownership was returned to the city’s Buddhist Association for management and use. After extensive planning, reconstruction began in June 1995 and was completed in January 1999. The entire ancient temple complex covers an area of 2,900 square meters, with a built-up area of 4,017 square meters. The front section serves as the temple gate, the main hall is the Mahavira Hall, the sides house three-story elderly care buildings, and the rear section is a three-story scripture depository. It has become a medium-sized, welfare-oriented, and multifunctional new-style temple in Chaozhou City.