A thousand-year-old temple hidden in the bustling streets of Hefei.

Mingjiao Temple is located in the eastern section of Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street, the busiest street in Hefei, Anhui Province. It is a Buddhist temple with a history of more than 1,700 years, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hefei, and a key national temple. Mingjiao Temple was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. It was originally called Iron Buddha Temple, and was also called Mingjiao Temple, Mingjiao Terrace, or Cao Cao's Commanding Terrace. This Mingjiao Temple has nothing to do with the Mingjiao in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber." The temple was built on the Jiao Nu Terrace built by Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period, commonly known as "Cao Cao's Commanding Terrace." The Jiao Nu Terrace is 4.3 meters high, with an area of about 3,800 square meters, and is square in shape. It has been rebuilt and destroyed many times due to wars and natural disasters throughout history. It was rebuilt during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, and the current architectural style is the Ming Dynasty courtyard style, belonging to the Linji School of Zen Buddhism. The temple consists of three parts: the Buddha Hall, the Sutra Pavilion, and the West Wing Courtyard. The hall is divided into the main hall and the rear hall, with more than 30 Buddha statues enshrined. The mountain gate is built on a trapezoidal staircase, with a single-eave Xieshan-style roof; the Mahavira Hall has a double-eave Xieshan-style roof, which is magnificent. The overall layout of the temple is symmetrical, with high artistic value, and is one of the famous scenic spots in Jianghuai and one of the eight ancient scenic spots in Luyang. There are many historical relics, such as the ancient Jiao Nu Terrace, also known as the Commanding Terrace. According to historical records, during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao came to Hefei four times, commanded the army, and built this high platform to train crossbow soldiers to resist the Eastern Wu navy. The temple is built on the original site of the platform; there are also Tang Dynasty Eight Immortals statues, Song Dynasty Su Dongpo's inkstone, the Well on the Roof named after the wellhead being higher than the roof ridge of the houses below the Jiao Nu Terrace, and the Ting Song Pavilion where Cao Cao observed the enemy's situation, the large bell cast during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty with the inscription "Jiao Nu Buddhist Bell," and other original ancient relics. Mingjiao Temple is adjacent to famous attractions such as the ancient Xiaoyaojin, Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street, Li Hongzhang's Former Residence, Bao Gong's Tomb, and Bao Gong's Temple, and is also a must-visit internet-famous spot in Hefei.