Changzhou Tianning Temple

　　   Tianning Temple was first built during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty and is one of the birthplaces of Buddhist music and chanting. It is now the largest temple in Changzhou, renowned for being “grand in halls, grand in Buddha statues, grand in bells, grand in drums, and grand in precious cauldrons.” Just the Mahavira Hall alone is as tall as a ten-story building. The Tianning Pagoda within the temple complex was completed in 2007 and is one of the landmarks of Changzhou. The temple lies to the north of Hongmei Park, the largest park in Changzhou, and to the south of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is only 1.5 kilometers away from Changzhou Railway Station and Changzhou Bus客运 Station. The main buildings of the temple are arranged along a central north-south axis, with the main gate located at the southern end. From south to north, the sequence is the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Jade Buddha Hall, and Three Treasures Hall. On the east and west sides of the Heavenly King Hall are the Manjusri Hall and Samantabhadra Hall, respectively. On the east and west sides of the Mahavira Hall are the Guanyin Hall and Ksitigarbha Hall. On both sides of the square between the Heavenly King Hall and the Mahavira Hall are the East and West Arhat Halls. To the east of the Jade Buddha Hall are the Abbot’s Quarters and the Upper Guest Rooms, and to the west are the Monks’ Quarters. Other structures along the west side of the central axis include the Buddhist College, Precepts Study Hall, Liberation Pond, and Bodhidharma Pavilion. Among these, the Heavenly King Hall and the Mahavira Hall are particularly famous for their grandeur. The Heavenly King Hall is over 23 meters high, and the Four Heavenly Kings enshrined inside stand 7.8 meters tall, which is considered quite tall among such figures in China. The Mahavira Hall is 33 meters high, with two sundials in front of it. Inside the hall, the central focus is the Trikāya Buddhas, with the Guanyin of the Southern Sea behind them, and the Twenty Devas standing on either side. In the front right corner of the hall is a massive bell weighing 4 tons, and in the front left corner is a large drum with a diameter of about 2 meters.

　　   Address: No. 636, Yanling Middle Road, Tianning District, Changzhou

　　   Type: Temple

　　   Rating: AAAA

　　   Recommended visiting time: 3–4 hours

　　   Phone: 0519-88178011

　　   Official website: http://www.tianningsi.org/

　　   Opening hours:

　　   Tianning Temple: 7:00–17:00; Tianning Pagoda: 8:30–17:00.

　　   Ticket information:

　　   Tianning Temple: 20 RMB; Tianning Temple + Tianning Pagoda: 80 RMB.