Qianming Temple in Guiyang

Qianming Temple in Guiyang

Qianming Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Qianming Temple is situated on Yangming Road by the Nanming River in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, and serves as a key Buddhist site in the city. The Guizhou Provincial Buddhist Association and the Guiyang Municipal Buddhist Association are both based in the temple. The temple was built in the late Ming Dynasty. It was renovated in the 36th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1771), when Chan Master Xiantu took up residence to propagate Zen Buddhism. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, amid war, the resident monks scattered, and the temple was placed under the stewardship of a local gentry member named Shu, who privately renamed it “Shu Family Ancestral Hall.” His two daughters had taken refuge under Venerable Guangmiao, abbot of Qixia Temple, and practiced at home while taking care of incense offerings at the hall.

In 1932, after Guangmiao completed his tenure as abbot of Qixia Temple, the two Shu sisters invited him to reside at their family shrine. Later, during the addition of meditation rooms, three stone tablets commemorating the 1771 renovation of Qianming Temple were unearthed. Based on these, Guangmiao brought a lawsuit to the local court against Shu for illegally occupying the temple. With the support of notable figures in Guiyang such as Ping Gang and Xiang Yi, Shu finally returned the temple, which resumed its original name. Guangmiao became abbot and raised funds to build the Amitabha Hall, the main venue for Buddhist ceremonies, housing a 16-foot statue of Amitabha Buddha. A scripture depository was also newly constructed, containing 593 volumes of the Song Dynasty block-printed "Qisha Canon" facsimile and 414 volumes of the "Pinqie Canon." Behind the Amitabha Hall lies the Kṣitigarbha Hall. Other facilities, including the abbot’s quarters, guest hall, and monastic dormitories, were also fully established. Guangmiao held two ordination ceremonies.

After Guangmiao passed away in 1946, Xukuan succeeded as abbot and conducted one full precept ordination and one novice precept ordination. Many monks and nuns from the city and surrounding counties came to receive precepts. During major Buddhist festivals or lunar phases, Qianming Temple held initiation ceremonies for the Three Refuges for devotees, with dozens or even hundreds participating each time. Major events such as the Buddha’s Birthday and the annual three Guanyin assemblies attracted thousands of monastics and lay followers.

Qianming Temple has always been a significant center for Buddhist activities in Guiyang. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, eminent monks such as Master Taixu and Zen master Xuyun preached at the temple when passing through Guiyang, drawing large audiences. In 1943, two wartime training sessions for monks and nuns were held at the temple. In 1944, the Buddhist monthly magazine "Hai Chao Yin" ("Voice of the Sea Tide") relocated from Shanghai to Qianming Temple for publication and released two issues before moving back. In 1945, Tibetan lama Shenglu transmitted Esoteric Buddhist teachings at the temple, with notable recipients including Wang Xizhong, Shuangqing, and Tuolusheng. In early 1949, the Guizhou Buddhist Association was established at Qianming Temple, issuing membership cards and badges to monks and nuns across the city. A Buddhist academy was also set up at the temple but later closed due to financial constraints.

After the liberation, Qianming Temple fell into disrepair due to age and neglect. During the Cultural Revolution, it suffered severe damage: statues were destroyed, scriptures burned, and monks dispersed. After the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee, religious policies were reinstated. Starting in 1983, nearly 1 million yuan in funding from provincial and municipal governments was allocated to restore the Mahavira Hall, Great Compassion Pavilion, scripture depository, guest hall, dining hall, monastic dormitories, office building, and mountain gate. Devotees donated funds to recast a 2.3-meter-tall seated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the Mahavira Hall, flanked by Ānanda and Mahākāśyapa. On the back wall, statues of Samantabhadra and Manjushri sit on either side, with the Eighteen Arhats lining the walls, creating a solemn atmosphere. Behind the hall, the Great Compassion Pavilion houses a 2.85-meter-tall statue of Thousand-Armed Guanyin, with the attendants Shancai and Longnü standing by her sides. Adjacent to the pavilion are the guest hall, monastic dormitories, and kitchen. A new three-story scripture depository with elegant upturned eaves was built, housing one copy each of the "Chinese Buddhist Canon" and the "Dunhuang Buddhist Canon," along with about a thousand other Buddhist texts, including the "Fangshan Stone Sutras" and Taiwan's "Taisho Tripitaka." The ground floor contains the Jade Buddha Hall, which enshrines a 1.5-meter-tall jade Buddha brought from Myanmar. To support the religious needs of Buddhists, the temple includes a dharma item shop, while the kitchen provides vegetarian meals and tea snacks for visitors. Around ten resident monks live at the temple. On October 15 of the lunar calendar in 1992 (Buddha’s Auspicious Day), a ceremony was held to inaugurate the jade Buddha and enthrone Abbot Zongman.

In 1981, Qianming Temple was listed among the first batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites in Guiyang. In 1983, it was designated a provincial-level cultural heritage site and, in the same year, recognized by the State Administration for Religious Affairs as a nationally key Han Buddhist temple, opening to the public. Over the past decade, Qianming Temple has hosted thousands of international visitors from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Canada, and Luxembourg, as well as compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. It has also held numerous Buddhist services for these visitors. Notable former abbots include Masters Xingzhi and Guangmiao. The current abbot is Zongman, born in 1923 in Xinhui, Guangdong. He serves as a member of the Municipal CPPCC, a deputy to the Municipal People’s Congress, a council member of the Buddhist Association of China, vice president of the Guizhou Buddhist Association, and president of the Guiyang Buddhist Association. The current supervisor monk is Miaole, born in 1962 in Xiwen, Guizhou. He is a council member of the Guizhou Buddhist Association and a member of the Nanming District CPPCC.

Address: By the Nanming River, Yangming Road, Nanming District, Guiyang City

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Ticket information:

Free admission.