Shanghai Longyin Temple

Shanghai Longyin Temple

Shanghai Longyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Longyin Temple was originally located on the east bank of Hengjing in Minhang Old Street. It was first built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. According to the Tongzhi Edition of the Shanghai County Annals, during the Qianlong period, a statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, floated down the Huangpu River and was brought ashore by local residents. A pavilion was erected to enshrine it, and it was then called “Guanyin Pavilion.” Legend has it that a Buddhist nun saw a large white snake as thick as a bowl and over ten feet long slither out from the woodshed of the Guanyin Pavilion and slowly swim into the Hengjing River outside the gate. It was believed to be the incarnation of a white dragon. Later, a wooden dragon head was carved and enshrined inside the pavilion. When people nearby heard that a white dragon had appeared at the Guanyin Pavilion, believers flocked to the site.

In February 1937, the abbess Huiming of the Guanyin Pavilion demolished and rebuilt it, renaming it Longyin Temple. In August of the same year, shortly after the reconstruction, the temple was bombed by Japanese invaders. Both the front and rear of the temple were hit by bombs, and Abbess Huiming passed away just days after the shock. Due to historical changes, after the liberation, Longyin Temple was once repurposed as the Minhang Town Grass Weaving Factory and later as a neighborhood factory.

It was not until February 1996 that the Shanghai Buddhist Association assigned Master Xin, a graduate of the first class of Shanghai Buddhist College, to oversee the reopening and restoration of Longyin Temple. In April, with support from the local government, renovation work quickly commenced, transforming the dilapidated buildings into a brand-new state, providing a place for worshippers to practice and study. As a result, every incense-burning festival or Buddhist holiday, Longyin Temple fills with the scent of incense, chants, and the sound of bells and drums. Every Saturday, monks also give sermons, and the number of worshippers coming to the temple to study Buddhism continues to grow.

Transportation

Address: No. 1 Min East Road, Minhang District, Shanghai

Transportation: Minhong Line, Minhang Route 16, Jiangchuan Route 1, Mindong Line