Jiming Temple lies at east foothill of mountain Jilong, District Xuanwu, city Nanjing. Jiming Temple was originally built in Period West Jin and one of the oldest temple in Nanjing. Since ancient, it was reputed as the first temple in Southern period and the 480 temples in Southern period. Jiming Temple is the Buddhist center of Southern period. The history record of Jiming Temple might dated back to kingdom Wu of Three Kingdom Period. The temple address used to be the location for Kingdom Wu of Three Kingdom Period. From Southern Period, the emperor made the order to build the temple and turned the area as a real Buddhist center. In 1387, emperor Zhu, yuanzhang in Ming Dynasty made an order of rebuilding and enlarging the temple. He also changed the name of the temple to Jiming temple. Later on, through renovating and enlarging by few emperors in Ming dynasty, the temple covers area over hundreds of acres. In Qing dynasty, the temple was destroyed by war, but renovated later on, though it shrank in size but still was worshiped by many believers. Since 1983, the temple opened to public and became one of most important temple in Nanjing. In 1992, a hot TV play once find scene from this temple and made the temple more famous domestically and internationally.

　　Accroding to the historical records, before the Jiming temple, there was built another temple with name “Xixia”. A prince in Southern Period built a grand residence in the same address. Before he died, he donated the residence for used as a temple with name Xixia. In Kingdom Wu of Three Kingdom Period, there was one canal running through the front gate of the temple. In Ming Dynasty, the canal was stocked but left with some ancient Scholar tree passing to present. From the history record above, Xixia temple should be the origin of Jiming Temple. If everything is true, the age of the temple should be dated back at least 300 years. But everything is still in discussion.

　　There is a legend about Jiming Temple. Long ago, there was a fierce centipede on the Jiuhua Mountain by the side of Xuanwu Lake. The evil spout powerful and poison fire from its mouth to hurt the passengers and animals. The Jade Emperor heard of it and appointed the golden rooster who deal with the event. When the golden rooster stood on the top of Beijige crowing at the centipede. The centipede was scared by the roar and escaped. But he didn’t resign  the centipede climbed up the mountain again and spouted the poison fire more powerful. Then the golden rooster rushed to the centipede and attacked it. After a fierce battle, the centipede was pecked to death and the golden rooster was poisoned seriously. From then on, people named the temple “Jiming Temple” (Jiming means crow of the rooster) on the top of Beijige Mountain to be in memory of the golden rooster.