Tianning Temple Vegetarian Food

Tianning Temple Vegetarian Food

　　    Tianning Temple vegetarian cuisine has a long-standing historical tradition. Pilgrims from all over come here to worship, and tourists visit to admire the sights. Many enjoy dining here—either to host banquets for family and friends during Buddhist events and savor the flavors of temple vegetarian food as a way to express reunion and joy, as well as a sincere form of blessing; or simply to vary their palate, whether for a family meal or a gathering with friends, making it a popular modern trend. Especially during the hot summer months, when people grow tired of greasy meat dishes, temple vegetarian food—mostly made with tofu, fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as mountain delicacies like mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and hair moss—is cooked with fragrant oil. The result is light yet flavorful, and when enjoyed in the serene and solemn temple environment, it offers a refined touch to life and satisfies curiosity. Visiting a few times a year is indeed a delightful experience.

　　    To adapt to economic development, improve consumption patterns, promote tourism, enrich culinary culture, and enhance the temple’s self-sustaining revenue capabilities, Tianning Temple reopened the “Ruyi Vegetarian Restaurant” in 1988. The restaurant is located on the east side of the mountain gate. It combines the classic dignity of traditional temple architecture with the contemporary flair of modern décor. A couplet hanging on one of the pillars paints an enticing picture: “Golden splendor shines upon the jeweled palace; practicing serenity over a pure vegetarian meal, step inside for good fortune; spacious and tranquil, facing a blessed land; prolonging life and enhancing health, come here to enjoy a hearty meal.” Penned by Qian Xiaoshan, a renowned local calligrapher and poet, the couplet blends scene and sentiment seamlessly, with well-balanced parallelism that appeals to both monks and laypeople, bringing a sense of ease and delight to readers. The dining area inside can be flexibly partitioned to accommodate over a hundred guests at once. The vegetarian dishes are categorized into imperial vegetarian, folk vegetarian, and Buddhist vegetarian. Imperial vegetarian refers to the vegetarian meals served during banquets of ancient emperors and generals; many modern folk and Buddhist vegetarian dishes have even earned a place among famous cuisine. The chefs here are mostly trained at the vegetarian restaurants of Shanghai's Jade Buddha Temple and Zhenjiang's Jinshan Temple, capable of preparing over 40 kinds of traditional Buddhist vegetarian dishes and local specialties of Changzhou. Among the Buddhist-inspired offerings is “Buddha’s Light Shines Upon All,” featuring golden chestnuts as the main element symbolizing Buddha’s radiance, surrounded by bright green and tender vegetable hearts, reddish-brown mushrooms, and yellow almonds—offering a vibrant color palette, a soft and delicious taste, and an inviting aroma. There are also various auspicious and healthful dishes such as “Prolong Life and Enhance Health,” “Attract Wealth and Treasure,” “Congratulations on Prosperity,” and “Bumper Harvest of Five Grains.” Exquisite creations like ingots, Buddha’s hands, and longevity peaches are not only delightful in color, aroma, and shape, but are also regarded as delicate “craftworks,” beloved by guests from China and abroad. (Changzhou)