Tongguan Yin Temple

Tongguan Yin Temple, originally known as Guangfu Lecture Temple, was first established in the second year of the Tianjian era during the Liang Dynasty (503 AD), making it over 1500 years old. It once served as a place for eminent monks to lecture on scriptures and preach the Dharma, reaching its zenith during the Tang Dynasty. The temple is also named after the bronze Guanyin statue that was once enshrined within. Currently, the preserved structures include the main hall, the Western Hall, the temple bridge, and Guangfu Pagoda.

Inside Tongguan Yin Temple, there is a sea of cherry blossoms with thousands of cherry trees, located at the foot of Guangfu Pagoda Mountain during the Liang Dynasty, featuring two varieties: red and white cherry blossoms. Every March, as one walks through the fragrant path, they are enveloped in a sea of fluttering petals. The ancient town scenery, pastoral spring colors, and lake and mountain views are all visible at a glance. The temple bridge, built across the river in front of Tongguan Yin Temple, is very quaint. The sides are made of Wu Kang stone, carved with double dragons playing with a pearl and the character ‘ten thousand’, with exquisite craftsmanship, dating back to the Song Dynasty.

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Passing the temple bridge and entering the mountain gate leads to the main hall, which is a single-eave hard mountain structure with a front porch. The hall has a clear upper construction without brackets, with eaves directly supported by the eave columns. In front of the hall stands a camphor tree with lush branches and a verdant canopy. The front of the lower floor is adorned with a double-step corridor, featuring a boat-awning eaves. The corridor wall is embedded with a stele of Zhang Mojun’s ‘Ode to Plum Blossoms’. The inscription is clear, with a cursive script that flows continuously, exuding a sense of freedom and elegance.

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The opening hours are from 08:30 to 16:30 all year round. Preferential policies include: Children: Free for those aged 6 (inclusive) or below or with a height of 1.4 meters (inclusive) or below; Minors: Half price for those aged between 6 (exclusive) and 18 (inclusive); Elderly: Half price for those aged between 60 (inclusive) and 69 (inclusive) with valid identification; Free for those aged 70 (inclusive) and above with valid identification; Students: Half price for full-time undergraduate and below students; Active military personnel: Free with valid identification; Retired military officers: Free with valid identification; Dependents of martyrs and deceased soldiers: Free with valid identification; Disabled persons: Free with a disability certificate; Lay Buddhists: Free for those living near Tongguan Yin Temple; Blood donors: Free for those who possess the National Voluntary Blood Donation Award, the Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation Award, and the Lifetime Volunteer Service Honor Award issued by the Jiangsu Provincial Joint Conference on Voluntary Blood Donation.

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