Renovated Jingye Nunnery. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Jingye Nunnery, a cultural relic under municipal protection in Nantong, will soon open to the public after a three-month renovation.

Situated in Chongchuan district, the nunnery was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when refined scholars in the city wrote poems about the site during outings.

Buddhist statues in Jingye Nunnery feature slender waists, which cannot be seen in Nantong's other temples. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Its main hall and gate, rear hall, and wing rooms are well preserved. The Buddhist statues in the nunnery featuring slender waists are a rarity which cannot be seen in the city's other temples.

Jingye Nunnery previously served as a primary school, a soy sauce workshop, and a hardware factory. In 2010, it was used by the Nantong Kite Museum. It is then that local authorities started placing an emphasis on its protection and renovation.

Courtyard at Jingye Nunnery. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Sprucing up the main hall was the main task of the renovation. Old construction materials and crafts were employed to restore the nunnery's original appearance as accurately as possible. The colorful auspicious cloud painting on the roof of the hall has also been well protected.

The renovated nunnery will function as a public cultural space where a variety of cultural activities will be organized for local residents.