Tianning Temple
Introduction
- Tianning Temple (Tianning Temple) is located south of Hongmei Park in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, at No. 1 Luohan Road, Tianning District (near Hongmei Road). First founded during the Zhenguan and Yonghui reigns of the Tang Dynasty (627-655 AD), it was initially named Guangfu Temple. It was renamed to its current name in the first year of the Zhenghe reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (1111 AD). After 1949, the Changzhou Municipal People’s Government has allocated funds for the renovation of Tianning Temple on multiple occasions, and in 2023, the renovation project of the temple’s mountain gate and vegetarian restaurant was launched.
- Tianning Temple is characterized by five “grands”: grand halls, grand Buddha statues, grand bells, grand drums, and grand treasure tripods. The main buildings in the temple include Tianning Pagoda, Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Jade Buddha Hall, and Three Treasures Hall. Among them, Tianning Pagoda was completed in 2007, with a total height of 153.79 meters and a construction area of 27,000 square meters, making it the tallest Buddhist pagoda in the world Covering a total area of more than 110 mu (approximately 7.33 hectares), the architectural complex is symmetrically distributed along the central axis, with halls, pavilions, and corridors connected to form an exquisite architectural art work integrating the temple and the pagoda.
- Known as one of the Four Great Chan Monasteries of Chinese Buddhism, alongside Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang, Gaomin Temple in Yangzhou, and Tiantong Temple in Ningbo, Tianning Temple is a National Key Protected Temple. It is famous for its “majestic halls and solemn giant Buddha statues”. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited it three times and inscribed the plaque “Dragon City Buddhism” (Longcheng Xiangjiao), earning it the reputation of “the First Jungle in Southeast China”. In August 2021, it was recognized as the 9th batch of China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Bases [1]. It receives approximately 700,000 visitors annually, and the bell-ringing prayer activity held on New Year’s Eve attracts tens of thousands of participants.
Public Transportation Guide to Changzhou Tianning Temple
I. Direct Bus Routes
| Route No | Station Name | Remarks |
| 11 | Tianning Temple Station | Most convenient from Changzhou Railway Station |
| 220 | Tianning Temple Station | Connects Hongmei Bus Hub and Zhongliang Garden |
| 23 | Tianning Temple Station | Toward Hongmei Bus Hub |
| B12/B2 | Tianning Temple Station | Major urban routes |
| 62/78 | Tianning Temple Station | Tourist special line |
| 62/78 | Tianning Temple Station | Cultural Tourism Special Line, connects Changzhou North Railway Station |
| 53 | Tianning Temple Station | Covers multiple residential areas |
| B12/B2 | Tianning Temple Station | BRT rapid transit routes |
III. Metro Options
| Line | Station | Exit | Walking Distance/Time |
| Metro Line 1 | Cultural Palace Station | Exit 7 | About 470 meters / 6 minutes |
| Metro Line 1 | Hongmei Park Station | Exit 2 | About 600 meters / 8 minutes |
| Metro Line 1 | Tongji Bridge Station | Any Exit | About 1.5 kilometers / 19 minutes |