Nestled in the bustling Jing’an commercial district of Shanghai, Jing’an Temple is conveniently accessible and stands in stark contrast to the surrounding high-rise buildings with its tranquil atmosphere. The architectural style of the temple blends Tibetan temple elements, with a silver Buddha in the Mahavira Hall weighing a staggering 15 tons, and a jade Buddha in the Moni Hall much larger than the one in Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple. Before entering the temple, one can see the towering ‘Zheng Fa Jiu Zhu’ pillar in front of the temple, inscribed with the four large characters ‘Zheng Fa Jiu Zhu’ on the front and a copy of the ‘Diamond Sutra’ written by Su Shi on the back. The top features a gilded four-faced lion statue, modeled after the Ashoka Pillar in Sarnath, northern India. Upon entering the temple, one finds a large square courtyard with a massive incense burner made from 15 tons of white copper. Unlike other temples where halls are aligned along the central axis, Jing’an Temple’s halls dedicated to Bodhisattvas and monks’ practice rooms are connected, encircling the courtyard with two levels. Visitors typically tour the first level around the courtyard before ascending to the second. The eastern wing on the right side of the first level houses the Guanyin Hall with a 6.2-meter tall thousand-year camphor wood Guanyin statue. The western wing on the left side houses the Moni Hall with a 3.87-meter tall Buddha statue, significantly larger than the ‘treasure of the temple’ in Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple, which had to be brought in by dismantling part of the temple wall due to its size. In the northwest corner of the first level stands the Jing’an Pagoda, with five Tibetan-style four-faced pagoda decorations on top, housing 868 Buddha statues and numerous treasures of esoteric Buddhism, although the pagoda is generally not open to the public. Originally a Han Chinese Buddhist temple, Jing’an Temple has gradually leaned towards Tibetan Buddhism under the leadership of Abbot Chisong, reflected in the architectural style that combines Han and Tibetan elements, particularly evident in the Jing’an Pagoda and the pillar outside the temple inscribed with ‘Zheng Fa Jiu Zhu’. The southern part of the second level is the mountain gate, and the second level also houses the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is flanked by the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower on both sides, which are unfortunately usually closed, allowing only a glimpse of the massive red drums and bells through windows or door cracks. On both the east and west sides of the second level, one can see monks practicing in many rooms without disturbing them. The northern part of the second level, directly above the large hall used for sermons on the first level, is the Mahavira Hall, which houses a 15-ton silver Buddha statue. The reverse side of the statue features exquisite and valuable three-dimensional murals made from various colored gemstones, corals, shells, jade, and pearls, arranged according to color to depict Buddhist stories, with the surrounding lotus petal-shaped frames all gilded. The roofs of all halls in Jing’an Temple are topped with copper tiles, the four-faced lion statues on the high pillars in front are gold, and the top of the pagoda behind the temple is gilded. From a distance, the entire temple is a sea of golden roofs, particularly striking and glittering in the sunlight.
Jing’an Temple is open all year round from 07:30 to 17:00. Here are some must-see tips: 1. Jing’an Temple is known for its thriving incense, with activities held on the birthdays and memorial days of various Bodhisattvas. Regularly, there are also lectures by eminent monks and other Buddhist events. Specific activities and their timings are posted on the notice board next to the temple entrance. 2. Adjacent to the Jing’an Pagoda, there is a vegetarian restaurant where the mixed vegetable noodles and mushroom noodles are highly recommended. 3. After entering Jing’an Temple, you will find an area on the right side to pick up incense for a fee of 5 yuan, or you can make a donation as you wish.
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