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Jiao Hill
 Jiao
Hill is situated in the middle of the Yangtze
River, 4.5 kilometers northeast of Zhenjiang
City. Seventy-one meters above the sea level,
the hill covers an area of thirty-eight
hectares. It was originally named "Qiao
Hill". Legend goes that in order to
memory the hermit of the Eastern Han Dynasty
Jiao Guang who once lived here, Emperor
Zhenzong of the Song renamed the hill as
Jiao Hill. The hill was covered with greenery
which make it look like a piece of floating
jade on the river, hence its another name
"Fuyu Hill" (Floating Jade Hill).
Dinghui Temple, first built
in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220), is
the largest of all the temples on Jiaoshan
Hill. It was originally named Puji Temple
and was renamed as Puji Buddhist Temple
in the Song Dynasty and Jiaoshan Temple
in the Yuan Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty
(1644 - 1911), when Emperor Kangxi made
a tour of this mountain, its named was changed
to Dinghui Temple, the one we used today.
 The
temple lies on the hill and is magnificent
in scale. During the Ming Dynasty (1368
- 1644) when it reached its golden ages,
it has 98 halls, 3000 monks and 18 additional
temples beside it. The mountain gate of
Dinghui Temple, simple and elegant, was
open to the south. A pair of stone lion
dated from the Ming Dynasty guards the gate
and a tablet written with "Dinghui
Temple in Jiaoshan" was hung above
the gate.
Daxiongbaodian Hall is the main
building in this temple. It keeps the style
of the Ming and is magnificent and grand
with an ornately painted and carved ceiling,
red pillars, and cool stone floors. Statues
of Sakyamuni, Akshobhya and Amitabha are
enshrined inside, with eighteen arhats line
up on both sides. All these figures are
various and vivid in expressions and gestures.
In front of the hall are two 500-year-old
ginkgo trees. Having experienced rains and
winds for
thousands of years, they are still exuberant
and verdant.
To the southwest of Dinghui
Temple is Huayan Pavilion, which is 2 stories
high. On its eastern, southern and western
sides, one can enjoy the scenery of the
Yangtze River. It is also one of the three
well-known places in Zhenjiang for admiring
the full moon.
 Jiao
Hill is also known as a "Hill of Calligraphy".
It contains a famous Forest of Tablets which
include over 400 stone tablets inscribed
in the handwriting of some of the best known
calligraphers in China dating from the 7th
century to the present. The most famous
tablet is "Praising the Crane"
which has been regarded as the masterpiece
of huge characters.
A trip to the mountain
is well worth the effort not only because
of the pleasure one can derive from a few
minutes exercise in unspoiled nature, but
also because of the terrific view from the
top of the mountain.
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