Jing'an Temple

Jing'an Temple

Jing'an Temple is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Jing'an Temple is located at 1686 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai. It has long been a renowned ancient temple in the Jiangnan region. According to inscriptions, it was built in the 10th year of the Chiwu era (247 AD) during the reign of Sun Quan, the King of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period, by the monk Kang Senghui. The original site of the temple was on the north bank of the Wusong River (now the Suzhou River), initially named Hudu Chongyuan (or Xuanyuan) Temple. During the Tang Dynasty, it was briefly renamed Yongtai Chan Monastery. In the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008), it was officially renamed Jing'an Temple. In the ninth year of the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1216), due to the temple's proximity to the riverbank and its constant threat of being eroded by the tides, which endangered its foundation, the abbot Zhongyi relocated the temple to the side of Feijingbang at Lupu, its current location.

Jing'an Temple is one of the nationally key Buddhist temples in Han Chinese areas, one of the ancient temples of the Shingon sect in Shanghai, and a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The architectural layout of Jing'an Temple follows a strict central axis. From south to north, it includes the Mountain Gate, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Mahavira Hall, and Dharma Hall. The Mountain Gate of Jing'an Temple faces south and is integrated with the Hall of Heavenly Kings. The ground level of the gate is paved with high-quality granite, and the semi-elliptical arch is adorned with cloud-pattern engravings from the Song Dynasty. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower stand to the east and west, respectively. The ground floor of the Bell Tower houses the "Sixth Best Spring under Heaven" — Yongquan Spring, revived here, with a finely cast 7.3-ton Peace Bell hanging above. The Drum Tower is designed to cover the subway entrance and exit overhead, featuring a large 3.38-meter diameter ox-hide drum.

Dharma Hall

The Dharma Hall of Jing'an Temple is located to the north of the main hall, adjoining it directly. Built with teakwood structure and a copper-tiled roof, it has seven floors and reaches a height of 32.22 meters. Shanghai’s Jing'an Temple follows the “Song Dynasty architectural methods,” incorporating roof finials (including the central ridge ornament, crouching ridge beasts, vertical ridge ornaments, corner beasts, and cover beasts), overhanging eaves, and bracket sets. These are enhanced with distinctly Buddhist motifs such as elephants, lotuses, and other symbolic patterns. The main structural materials are imported Burmese teakwood, with yellow and dark gray glazed tiles along with copper tiles used for roofing. Major decorative elements (such as ridge ornaments and stupa finials) are gold-plated. The layout adheres to traditional Chinese architectural styles, integrating gates, halls, and corridors.

Mountain Gate

The Mountain Gate of Jing'an Temple is combined with the Hall of Heavenly Kings, forming a two-story structure. The exterior is clad in granite, with teakwood detailing and a yellow glazed tile roof. On the roof ridge, the inscription “The True Dharma Long Abides” reflects the Buddha’s intent. The lower level features three central teakwood doors adorned with copper nails, surrounded by stone carvings of Buddha’s hand, lotus, and the Eight Auspicious Symbols. The main gate features an engraved couplet: “May the Buddha’s hands descend in grace” and “Soften all hearts to be as one.” Stone-carved immortal cranes flank the gate. The second-floor corridor is enclosed by white marble railings, while the interior uses teakwood.

Bell Tower

The second floor of Jing'an Temple houses the Peace Bell, which is 3.3 meters high, 2.1 meters in diameter, weighs 7.3 tons, and is cast in bronze. Its sound is deep and resonant, with a long lingering echo. The lower level revives one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Jing'an” — Yongquan Spring, also known as the “Sixth Best Spring under Heaven.” It blends with newly drilled underground spring water from a 156-meter-deep well. The viewing well of Yongquan is 6 meters deep, with a hexagonal mouth made from a single piece of Jinshan stone. The entire well is built with 666 pieces of granite, and the bottom stone alone weighs 6,000 jin (about 3 metric tons).

Guanyin Hall

The Guanyin Hall of Jing'an Temple is located in the center of the eastern wing building. It stands 20.6 meters tall and houses a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue carved from a single camphor wood trunk. The hall has a yellow glazed tile roof, creating a striking contrast with the dark gray tiles of the eastern wing, emphasizing the solemnity of the space. The eastern wing has a two-story corridor structure, connecting seamlessly with the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Towers, Main Hall, and Dharma Hall.

Muni Hall

The Muni Hall is situated in the center of the western wing building. It also stands 20.6 meters tall and enshrines a white jade statue of Muni Buddha. Like the Guanyin Hall, it features a yellow glazed tile roof, setting it apart from the surrounding dark gray roof tiles and highlighting its dignified presence. The western wing also has a two-story corridor structure, interlinked with the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Towers, Main Hall, and Dharma Hall.

Mahavira Hall

The Mahavira Hall is 26 meters tall, featuring a hip-and-gable roof with double eaves. It houses 46 carefully crafted teakwood pillars with diameters ranging from 0.72 to 0.8 meters, using a total of over 3,000 cubic meters of wood. The roof is covered with copper tiles. Inside the hall is a 15-ton pure silver statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The ground floor serves as a thousand-person Dharma assembly hall, while the basement contains a 1,000-square-meter scripture depository that will house 130,000 stone-carved sutra tablets to preserve them for future generations. Flanking the Mahavira Hall are the eastern and western wings, connected via two-story ornamental corridors with the rest of the temple complex. The corridors are lined with white marble lotus pillars and railings. The eastern wing houses the Guanyin Hall, featuring a 6.2-meter-tall thousand-year-old camphor wood Guanyin statue, while the western wing contains the Muni Hall, with a 3.87-meter-tall, 11-ton seated Sakyamuni Buddha statue carved from a single block of Burmese white jade. At the center of the square in front of the Mahavira Hall stands the newly erected Fuhui Tripod. Cast in cupronickel, the Fuhui Tripod weighs 15.5 tons and stands 10.23 meters tall, resting on a 36-ton base carved from a single piece of immortal crane stone. The sides of the tripod are inscribed with a detailed historical account of the ancient temple, personally composed by Venerable Huiming.

Jing'an Pagoda

Jing'an Pagoda is a seven-story square pagoda covering a land area of 85 square meters and a construction area of 952 square meters. Its spire follows the design of a Vajra Throne Stupa, cast in bronze and gilded on the surface. The Golden Buddha Hall is located on the top floor of the Dharma Hall behind the Mahavira Hall. Designed in the style of the Song Dynasty, it features a teakwood and copper roof structure and will house a 2-ton pure gold statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. At 20 meters high on the eastern and western tops of the Dharma Hall are the Zhien Pavilion and Baoying Pavilion, echoing the Bell and Drum Towers at the front of the temple.

Address: 1686 West Nanjing Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

Type: Historical Architecture / Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 021-62534419

Opening Hours:

5:30–17:00; 4:30–17:00 during peak religious periods

Transportation

Metro: Line 2 and Line 7, Jing'an Temple Station. Bus routes: 21, 825 (terminus at Jiaozhou Road); 37, 62, 562, 838 (terminus at Meilinyuan); 40 (terminus at International Garden Hotel); 57 (terminus at Anyi Road). Other routes passing by include: 15, 20, 45, 71, 76, 93, 94, 113, 138, 506, 824, 830, 831, 921, 927, 925, 939, and various airport shuttles.

Ticket

30 yuan, free during Buddhist holy days