Construction of the East Grove Temple (Donglin Si) first began in 386 during China's Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was upon the request of celebrated monk Hui Yuan that the temple be constructed and it was here that he would go on to found the Jingtu sect of Chinese Buddhism whose teachings would be taken to Japan several hundred years later.

 
It is one of the few temples to survive China's tumultuous history relatively unscathed and is now thought to be China's original garden temple. East Grove Temple and its accompanying prayer hall are situated at the foot of Xianglu Peak, to the west of Lu Shan's Guling town area. The surrounding cliffs and peaks are inscribed with the calligraphy of centuries worth of pilgrims who have been influenced and inspired by the teachings passed down from Hui Yuan.