The Tianning Temple, located in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, has a history of over 1,350 years, since the time of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). It stands as the "First Thicket in Southeast China" due to its "soaring palaces，solemn statues of Buddha, renowned gatherings, and eminent monks in history". Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, Ye Kai, Yuan Ying, Hsing Yun and other Zen Buddhist masters spent their lives in supervision and cultivation at Tianning Temple. The Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty has visited the Jiangnan Area (south of the Yangtze River) six times, and three times in which he came to Tianning Temple for ceremony, and inscribed "Buddha in Dragon City" (Changzhou City) on a plaque. The Tianning Temple's "Chanting of Buddhist Verses" has been on the List of China Intangible Cultural Heritage.