Nantong Tianning Temple

　　    Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, Batch 1 & 2, adjusted and announced in March 1982. Tianning Temple was rebuilt during the Ming Xuande era (1426–1435) and is located on Zhongxue Tang Street in Nantong City. 　

　　　　        Located at the west end of Zhongxue Tang Street in Nantong City. Originally built during the Northern Song Dynasty, though some say it dates back to the Tang Xiantong era (860–873). Most of the current structures were rebuilt during the Ming Xuande era (1426–1435). The main hall was renovated in 1991. The main buildings of Tianning Temple today include the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Guangxiao Pagoda. The pagoda is an eight-sided, five-story structure with a brick-and-wood composite design. The wooden sections of the Heavenly King Hall and Mahavira Hall still retain architectural styles from the Liao and Yuan dynasties. It is one of the more intact groups of Ming Dynasty Buddhist architecture preserved in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

　　    Nantong Tianning Chan Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty and is one of the city’s oldest, largest, and best-preserved Buddhist temples. It is one of the three surviving Tang-era temples in the Nantong Jianghai region (along with Guangjiao Temple on Langshan Mountain, Dinghui Temple in Rugao, and Tianning Temple in Nantong). Both the Ming Dynasty "Wanli Annals" and Qing Dynasty "Kangxi Annals" record: “Built during the Tang Xiantong era by the monk Zao Huan Tang. Originally named Guangxiao, it was renamed to its current name in the first year of the Tian Shun era upon the petition of the monk Fa En.” The "Qianlong Annals" added: “The temple has a five-story Guangxiao Pagoda, and behind it is the Vairocana Pavilion. Built during the Song Xianchun era (circa 990–1003) by a man named Guan, with donations raised by the monk Fa En.” However, the record that “in the first year of Tian Shun, Fa En petitioned to change the name” is incorrect—it should be Shen Hui. As for ‘Guan,’ it is difficult to verify, but monks referred to him as “Guan Gong, Guan Po,” and his image was enshrined in the Vajra Hall. During the Xianchun era, Yin Yinglei, the Military Minister of the Song Duzong Emperor and a local resident (some say from Shigang), donated his residence to the temple (some records say Guan did so). Tianning Temple was originally part of the Fengsheng Temple, located west of the state capital. It was moved to Tianning Chan Temple during the Zhenghe era (1111–1118) and merged with Bao'en Guangxiao. Later, Tianning Chan Temple became the general name used.