Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple
Jade Buddha Temple, is the most famous Buddhist temple in Shanghai. Located at 170 Anyuan Road, the temple was established in 1918 with the style of the Song Dynasty. It is an active temple with over 70 monks. The outside of the temple is recognized by the bright yellow walls.
It houses a 1.9-metre-tall jade statue of Buddha carved out of a single piece jade whose color is lustrously and spotlessly white. The look of the the figure is dignified with a kind face. Besides, this rare treasure in the world, there is another jade Buddha statue in a reclined position.
Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, was first built in the 8th year of the Qing Guangxu reign (1882) and is a famous temple in Shanghai, along with Longhua Temple and Jing'an Temple.
The current Jade Buddha Temple is divided into two main parts: the front courtyard and the back courtyard. The front yard is the original site of the Jade Buddha Temple. On the central axis are the Heavenly Kings Hall, the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Hall, the Grand Hall, which are palace style buildings modeled after the Song Dynasty; The backyard is a multifunctional sensory group building. There is a cultural relic room in the temple, which houses precious cultural relics from the Northern Wei, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
The Jade Buddha Temple is famous for the two jade Buddhas that were brought back from Myanmar by Master Huigen of Mount Putuo in the late Qing Dynasty. In fact, Master Huigen brought back a total of five jade Buddhas of different sizes and left two of them in Shanghai on his way back to Mount Putuo. The 1.92-meter-high statue of Shakyamuni sitting inside the Jade Buddha Building, adorned with dazzling gold foil and gemstones, is known as the "treasure of the temple". On the ceiling of the Jade Buddha Building, there are also 500 gold-plated Buddha statues. The other statue, located in the sleeping Buddha hall on the west side of the temple, is a 96 centimeter long statue of Shakyamuni lying Buddha, made according to the shape of Shakyamuni when he passed away at the age of 80. He lies on his side, with his right hand supporting his head, and his demeanor is peaceful. Opposite the reclining Buddha, a jade reclining Buddha with a length of about 4 meters has been added in modern times, donated by Singaporean believers.
The Jade Buddha Temple attracts a large number of pilgrims, and pilgrims keep coming every 1st day and 15th day of month. The most famous one is burning incense on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Some pilgrims wait at the entrance of the temple on the evening of the New Year's Eve, hoping that the incense will burn to the end and their wishes will be fulfilled more effectively.
Entrance Fee: RMB 15
Open Hours: 8:30 to 17:00
Route: 19, 14, 36, 54, 63, 68, 76, 105, 106
ADD: at 170 Anyuan Road
