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The Kangxi Southern Inspection Tours strengthened the Qing Dynasty's control over Jiangnan Buddhism, thereby promoting the standardization and officialization of Jiangnan temples and externalizing imperial power through images and physical space. Taking Jinshan Temple as an example, this study combines spatial analysis of architecture and image analysis used by art historians to examine the transformation between physical and pictorial spaces in Jinshan Temple, revealing the spatial operation of imperial power. The intervention of imperial power sparked the space reconstruction of Jinshan Temple through a process of "merger-occupation-infiltration-adjustment". Thus, the control measures of Kangxi are revealed, including the emphasis on the geographical significance of the temple, space occupation of royal buildings, change in landscape, and the adaptation of monks by adjusting their imagination of the sacred space. By determining the spatial reconstruction, we observe that the spatial strategy of power reflects Kangxi's religious attitude toward Buddhism of "neither promoting nor suppressing, but treating it reasonably" 朕惟置之焉能有無之間, which may enrich our understanding of the influence of Kangxi's Southern Inspection Tours on Jiangnan's religious space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores regional Buddhist monasteries in Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) China, including their arrangement, functions, and sources for their study. Specifically, as a case study, it considers the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan monastery 開元寺 in Sizhou 泗州 (present-day Jiangsu Province) with reference to the works of three prominent state officials and scholars: Bai Juyi 白居易 (772–846), Li Ao 李翱 (772–841), and Han Yu 韓愈 (768–824). The writings of these literati allow us to trace the various phases of the monastery's reconstruction, fundraising activities, and the network of individuals who participated in the project. We learn that the rebuilt multi-compound complex not only provided living areas for masses of pilgrims, traders, and workers but also functioned as a barrier that protected the populations of Sizhou and neighboring prefectures from flooding. Moreover, when viewed from a broader perspective, the renovation of the Kaiyuan monastery demonstrates that Buddhist construction projects played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of Tang China's major metropolises as well as its regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]