Last updated 2026-11-14 — Qingyun Temple is located in Taixing, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province. It was first built in the second year of the Xianping era during the Northern Song Dynasty. Later, Cai Mengxiang, the son-in-law and military commander of the Yuan Dynasty, donated his residence to expand the temple, making its “grand halls and splendid structures well-known.” However, as time passed and the world changed, the carved beams and painted rafters gradually fell into disrepair, and “the vacant land around the temple was gradually taken over by local residents, leading the monks to disperse.” In 1988, the Taixing County People’s Government approved the restoration application of the Taixing County Buddhist Association Preparatory Group for Qingyun Temple. In 1989, the Taixing County Buddhist Association was officially established, with Venerable Zhilin as president, and Vice Presidents Guolin and Master Honghui fully dedicating themselves to the temple’s restoration project. The project was completed in 1990, and the temple was approved to open to the public. In 1995, the Pagoda was restored and completed. In 1997, Qingyun Temple added the Bell and Drum Towers. The temple consists of two parts: the Temple Courtyard and the Pagoda Courtyard. The Temple Courtyard faces south and features the two guardian deities, Heng and Ha, standing on either side of the mountain gate. Inside the courtyard, the Bell and Drum Towers stand imposingly on both sides. Walking along the pathway leads to the Hall of Heavenly Kings, which houses Maitreya, Skanda, and the Four Heavenly Kings. To the north of the Hall of Heavenly Kings is the Mahavira Hall, enshrining the Tathagata Buddha. To the east of the hall is the Guanyin Hall, and to the west is the Ksitigarbha Hall, with the Scripture Depository at the back. There is a door in the middle of the western wing of the Temple Courtyard that leads to the Pagoda Courtyard, which contains a five-story pagoda with an octagonal exterior and a square interior. Climbing to the top of the pagoda offers a panoramic view. The temple is surrounded by various famous flowers and plants, their vibrant colors competing in beauty, setting off the majestic presence of the pagoda. The area where Qingyun Temple stands today was originally shaped like a gourd, hence the name Huluwan (Gourd Bay). Some also believed the area resembled a golden vase, calling it Jinpingwan (Golden Vase Bay). During the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the monk Baolian meditated and practiced here. Later, with the support of many benefactors such as Cheng Yanzhen, Shen Zhaofeng, Lu Shiming, Ji Xianyong, and Xu Jiugao, he built the Nunnery and the Pagoda.