Xia Hai Temple

Xia Hai Temple

Xia Hai Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Xia Hai Temple is located at No. 73 Kunming Road, Hongkou District. According to records, it was first established during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, initially consisting of only nine rooms. It served as a folk temple where local fishermen and residents prayed for safety and worshipped the sea deity. During the Jiaqing period, the temple fell into disrepair but was later restored by nun Xinyi. Since then, it functioned as a nunnery of the Linji school of Buddhism. In the fourth year of the Xianfeng reign, an additional 8.17 mu of land was purchased, and the temple was gradually expanded. Legend has it that when nun Xinyi reached the age of 98, she passed the position of abbess to nun Facheng, who successively built more than twenty additional structures including the front hall. In the 21st year of the Guangxu reign, nun Faxing, a disciple of Facheng, took over. In the 25th year of the Guangxu reign, over ten more rooms, including the rear hall, were added. By the third year of the Xuantong reign, nun Facheng was still alive at the age of 87. She was later succeeded by nuns Fugen and Juelian. In the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, the temple buildings were completely destroyed by Japanese artillery fire. Starting in 1941, nun Juelian raised funds to rebuild the temple. By the time of the liberation, the temple had largely retained its original scale.

Location

No. 73 Kunming Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai