Jianlong Temple is located on today's Meiling West Road. Initially, it was built by Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, after he quelled the rebellion of Li Chongjin. In the second year of Jianlong (961), he converted the imperial camp into a temple to commemorate the soldiers who died in battle, naming the temple after his era name. The original site was 20 li west of Yangzhou City (i.e., the Jianlong Temple site at West Lake Hu Chang). During the Jianyan period, the temple was destroyed when the Jin troops invaded.
In the third year of Jiayou of the Southern Song (1239), a new site was chosen on Songda Cheng's Shouning Street in Tangzi Alley, and the Jianlong Temple was rebuilt. During the Baoyou period (1253-1258), further renovations were carried out, expanding the temple significantly. It had a mountain gate, main hall, Zhangwu Hall, with corridors built on both sides, as well as kitchens, monk quarters, bathrooms, and storerooms. In front of the abbot's chamber stood a cojoined cypress tree, making it one of the major temples in Yangzhou at the time. Although the temple underwent repairs during the Ming Dynasty, it fell into decline by the early Qing Dynasty. In the tenth year of Qianlong (1745), the head monk Zongsen carried out major renovations. He established the Nanshan School here and passed down his teachings to his disciple Fuxian. Later, Huang Sheng, a local gentry from She County, rebuilt the temple under the orders of his mother, restoring its former glory. He also added structures such as a sutra repository and an ordination platform, making it one of the eight famous temples in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Qianlong visited the temple several times and bestowed many rewards. At that time, the monks in the temple were well-versed in literature and art. Monk Xiaozhi, a disciple of Zongsen, compiled the "Brief Records of Jianlong Temple," which included poems and writings from previous poets like Mei Yaochen, Su Shi, Wang Yindi, and Qing dynasty writers like Jiang Shiquan. Many notable visitors to the temple were also recorded in this work.
After suffering destruction during the wars of the Xianfeng era, most of the temple buildings were ruined, although some repairs were made subsequently. On the eve of Yangzhou's liberation, there were about 90 rooms in the temple, presided over by the monk Yinlong, with fewer than five monks residing there. Between 1953 and 1954, a tornado destroyed the main hall, and the remaining temple buildings were converted into a children's products factory. In 1978, the remaining old houses were demolished, and the site was developed into a new residential area.