Puming Temple (Chinese: 普明寺; pinyin: Pǔmíng Sì) is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

with a rich history dating back to the

Southern and Northern Dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

period in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The temple has been known by various names throughout its history and has locations in different parts of China.

History

The earliest known Puming Temple was established during the

Liang Dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () or Xiao Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was pre ...

. Originally called "Miaoli Puming Temple," it was later renamed Hanshan Temple, located in

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

Jiangsu Province Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fifth most populous, with a population of 84. ...

. This temple gained fame due to a poem by

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

poet Zhang Ji, which described its midnight bell tolls. Another Puming Temple, located in

Yushan County Yushan () is a county in the northeast of Jiangxi province, China. The county is Jiangxi's gateway to bordering Zhejiang province. It covers and the population now reaches 560,000. The climate is temperate there with abundant rainfall in the mon ...

Jiangxi Province ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...

, was established between 668 and 670 during the Tang Dynasty. This temple was converted from the private residence of painter and official Yan Liben.

Architecture and features

The Suzhou Puming Temple, now known as Hanshan Temple, covers an area of approximately 10,600 square meters (about 3 acres). Its current layout primarily reflects the architectural style of the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Key structures include: * Grand Prayer Hall * Sutra-Collection Building * Bell Tower * Fengjiang Pavilion * Tablets Corridor In 1995, a significant addition was made to the temple complex with the construction of the Puming

Pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

. This five-story Buddhist pagoda stands 42 meters (138 feet) tall and has become a symbolic structure of the temple.

Cultural significance

Puming Temple, particularly in its incarnation as Hanshan Temple, holds great cultural and religious importance: # Buddhist practices: The temple remains an active center for Buddhist worship and rituals. # Literary fame: Its reputation was significantly enhanced by Zhang Ji's poem "A Night Mooring by Maple Bridge," which mentions the temple's bell. # Historical relics: The temple houses various artifacts, including statues and stone tablet inscriptions. # Tourist attraction: It has become a popular destination for both religious pilgrims and tourists interested in Chinese history and culture.

References

{{coord missing, Jiangxi Buddhist temples in China Tang dynasty architecture Buildings and structures in Jiangxi Tourist attractions in Jiangxi