Jiming Temple (Temple of the Cock’s Crow) is a Buddhist temple and nunnery in Nanjing; it is one of the city’s oldest temples originally built in 527 during the Liang-era and still home to about 30 nuns. Since then the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The temple we see today dates back to 1387 during the Ming Dynasty. After the collapse of the Qing Dynasty the temple was taken over by the Nationalist Republic of China and by 1931 the complex structures had been emptied out and were being used as barracks for the army and police. Today the temple is restored to its former glory and has many points of interest, beautiful statues and a peaceful atmosphere.

The highlights of the temple complex include the Guanyin Hall; Huomeng Building; the Medicine Buddha Pagoda and the Rouge Well. The temple’s seven-story pagoda overlooks Xuanqu Lake and Park and visitors can go to the top level for brilliant views.

If you visit the temple around lunch time you can enjoy the temple’s vegetarian restaurant in the hilltop pavilion. From March to April you can see the beautiful Sakura cherry blossom flowers blooming on the temple complex trees.