The Zhenru Temple was built between 806 and 810 during the mid-Tang dynasty (618–907) by monk Daorong, where he taught Chan Buddhism with his disciples Quanqing (全庆) and Quanhui (全悔) for almost 70 years.

In the year 883 during the reign of Emperor Xizong, the local military governor Zhong Chuan (钟传) invited master Daoying (道膺) to the temple to preach Buddhism.

[2] In 1937, after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, the Imperial Japanese Army began to invade China and the Zhenru Chan Temple was demolished by artillery.

[2] After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Chan master Xuyun, then Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association, started to reconstruct the temple.

[2] In 1966, Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution, almost all volumes of scriptures, historical documents, statues of Buddha, and other works of art were either removed, damaged or destroyed under the attack of the Red Guards.

[2] After the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the national policy of free religious belief, Zhenru Chan Temple was officially reopened to the public in 1982.

[2] In 2006, Zhenru Chan Temple was listed among the six group of "Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangxi" by the State Council of China.

On April 2, 2015, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo and his wife Zhang Ruizhen visited the temple.