Dinghui Si

The predecessor of the Dinghui Si (Dinghui Temple) on Jiaoshan Isle in the Yangtze River to the northeast of Zhenjiang was the Puji Convent said to have been built in AD 194, or the first year of the Xingping reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was renamed the "Puji Temple" during the Song Dynasty and the "Jiaoshan Temple" during the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, with the addition of a good number of halls, it became a major Buddhist sanctuary south of the Yangtze. The Mahavira Hall was rebuilt during the Xuande reign (1426-1435) of the Ming Dynasty, and when the Hall of Deva-kings, the Tripitaka Pavilion, the Thousand-Buddha Chamber, and the Haiyun Chamber were built during the Zhengtong reign, the temple acquired almost the same impressive size as the Jin Shan Temple. It was not until 1703, the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, that the temple was renamed the Dinghui Temple.

The buildings as we see today have retained their Ming-Dynasty layout and architectural style. Jiaoshan Isle itself is a place with a picture-like landscape and a pleasant climate. Whenever the emperors Kangxi and Qianlong sailed down the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal on south China tours, they never failed to stop over at Jiaoshan Hill, which today is known for its 16 breathtaking scenes and sights.