This temple is known for a famous monk, Jianzhen, who studied the sutras and initiated people into monkhood here in 742 AD before he left for Japan.

In the first year of Renshou in the Sui dynasty (601), Emperor Wen Yang Jian issued an edict to build 30 pagodas across the country for the worship of Buddhist relics (佛骨) to celebrate his birthday.

[3] In 1922, Japanese scholar Tokiwa Daijo (常盘大定) built a pavilion, a gallery and a memorial hall before Daming Temple to commemorate master Jianzhen.

[3] The Pingshan Hall (平山堂) was built by Song dynasty scholar official Ouyang Xiu in 1048 during the Qingli period when he was prefecture chief of Yangzhou.

[3] Some time during the Renshou reign of the Sui dynasty – between 601 and 604 AD, the nine-story "Qiling Pagoda" (栖灵塔) was completed.