This temple in Jiangsu is as famous as the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was selected as a World Heritage Site and is known as the "Buddha City on the Canal".

Gaoyou, Jiangsu Province, is the only city named after "You" in the country. As a famous historical and cultural city in Jiangsu Province, it has rich cultural heritage and tourism resources. When arriving in Gaoyou, there are two scenic spots that must be visited. One is Yucheng Station, known as the "living fossil" of China's post stations; the other is Zhenguo Temple, known as the "Buddha City on the Canal".

Zhenguo Temple is located on the island in the middle of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Gaoyou City. It is adjacent to Gaoyou City to the east and Gaoyou Lake to the west. It is the only temple in China located on the island of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In the first year of Qianfu of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty (874), Zen Master Juzhi, the younger brother of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, traveled to Gaoyou and saw the thousands of miles of clear water and sparkling waves in the Grand Canal. After hearing the news, Emperor Xizong allocated funds to build a temple and named it "Zhenguo Zen Temple".

Since Zhenguo Temple is completely located in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and surrounded by water on all sides, it can be called a wonder of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In recent years, the local area has built a 100-meter-long "Pudu Bridge" on the canal, connecting the scenic belt on the west embankment of the canal with the small islands in the river. The pavilions on Pudu Bridge are connected with each other and are covered with exquisite Buddhist paintings. It can be called a leisurely place to rest in the shade.

When you come to the island, the first thing you see is an open-air Guanyin statue with a kind and dignified face, standing on a lotus platform holding a pure bottle. According to reports, this Guanyin statue is carved from natural first-grade white marble. It is 10.08 meters high and weighs about 100 tons. The lotus platform at its feet is composed of 83 lotus petals, symbolizing the 830,000 people of Gaoyou City praying for good weather and good harvests.

Zhenguo Temple originally covered an area of ??33.6 acres. Later, the revetment was reinforced and the slope protection was strengthened, and now it covers an area of ??46 acres. The temple has magnificent halls, spacious pavilions and corridors, integrating Buddhist temples, cultural relics and historic sites, offering incense to Buddha and natural scenery. It has been listed as the first of the "Eight Great Temples of Qinyou" since ancient times. For thousands of years, successive dynasties have repaired the temple, and the incense has continued to flourish.

In China, there are many temples with long histories, and the reason that attracts tourists to Zhenguo Temple is that there is a "Zhenguo Temple Tower" in the temple. This square seven-story pavilion-style brick tower is 35.36 meters high. It has a simple, dignified, elegant and spectacular shape. It is very unique among the more than 600 ancient towers in my country. According to research, there are only two such square ancient pagodas in the country. The other one is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. Therefore, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is also known as the "Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the South".

The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was first built in the Xizong period of the Tang Dynasty. The tower body is entirely built with blue bricks. A jade Buddha is enshrined on the bottom floor. There are pagoda doors on the second to seventh floors. There are small pagoda doors on both sides. Buddhist niche. The pagoda at the top is a bronze gourd with the words "good weather, good weather, peaceful country and people" engraved on the surface of the gourd. Although the pagoda has been repaired many times, it still basically retains the architectural features of the ancient pagodas of the Tang Dynasty.

It is said that during the renovation of the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda, the remains of Zen Master Juzhi of the Tang Dynasty were discovered. What is incredible is that his remains were completely inseparable, connected like hooks, and emitted strange lights. People are amazed. In 1956, when the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was widened, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was supposed to be demolished. After repeated studies by relevant departments, it was decided to "give way to preserve the tower" and move the embankment 52 meters eastward, leaving a place for the temple in the middle of the river. A small island of about 40 acres was acquired, and the ancient pagoda was also preserved.

The Zhenguo Temple on the island has been rebuilt and has regained its youth, becoming a witness to the rich history and culture of Gaoyou City. On May 3, 2013, Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was announced as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 2014, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda, as an important part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, was listed as a world cultural heritage. If you have the opportunity, you might as well come here for a walk.