Jinshan Donglin Buddhist Temple

Jinshan Donglin Buddhist Temple

Jinshan Donglin Buddhist Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Donglin Buddhist Temple is a historic landmark originally named Guanyin Hall. In the early years of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1308), it was built by the monk Miaoyin. In the second year of Huangqing (1313), the eminent monk Zhiseng from Xilin Temple came to establish the site and renamed it Donglin Buddhist Temple. During the Zhizheng era (1341–1367), it was destroyed in war. In the early Ming Dynasty, the monk Zhiyi rebuilt it, but it later collapsed due to long-term disrepair. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Kegi and others rebuilt the temple again. In the tenth year of Jiaqing (1805), the monk Yiyun renovated it and constructed the Lianyue Pavilion. In the fifth year of Daoguang (1825), the main hall was destroyed in a fire. In the ninth year (1829), the monk Nianhuai raised funds to rebuild it. In the eighteenth year of Daoguang (1838), the mountain gate was again destroyed in a fire. During the Anti-Japanese War, there were 11 monks in the temple. In the early 1950s, there were six monks, and the main hall still remained.

In 1987, the remaining main hall of Donglin Buddhist Temple was designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. In May 1998, it was renovated with funding jointly provided by the Jinshan District People's Government and the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee, and the project was completed in November of the same year. After the renovation and reinforcement, the main hall regained the architectural features of the Qing Dynasty — a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with small green tiles, a straight ridge, and decorative animal ornaments on the vertical and hip ridges. Facing south, the hall is five bays wide with a veranda, covering a construction area of 348 square meters. It features a post-and-lintel structure, mortise-and-tenon joints, and a brick-and-timber construction, presenting an imposing and solemn appearance.

In May 1998, the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee funded the renovation, lifting the entire main hall by 60 centimeters. The project was completed in December of the same year. The hall faces south, has a brick-and-timber structure, a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, a total height of 15.2 meters, is five bays wide with a veranda, six bays deep, and covers a construction area of 351 square meters. The roof is exquisitely decorated, with three crouching beasts on each hip ridge. The wooden interior columns and beams are large and sturdy, with densely arranged brackets in an orderly fashion. The outer brackets on both upper and lower eaves are all one-dou-six-rising large brackets, and there are 12 eave columns in total at the front and rear of the hall. It is currently the largest single ancient structure among Buddhist buildings in the Shanghai area. It was announced as a municipal cultural relics protection unit in 1987. In November 2002, after approval by the Jinshan District Religious Affairs Management Department, it was officially registered as a Buddhist activity site, allowing Donglin Buddhist Temple to welcome worshippers and visitors in its Buddhist capacity.

In 2004, the Jinshan District government implemented the Party’s religious policies by allocating 20.5 acres of the former Jinshan County government compound free of charge for the expansion of the combined site of Donglin Temple and Xilin Temple. In September 2007, the site reopened to worshippers and tourists with the majestic appearance of restoring the characteristics of an ancient temple from the Yuan Dynasty. Today’s Donglin Temple is a dazzling mountain spectacle: the Buddha is the mountain, and the mountain cradles the Buddha. The temple’s 12 highlights showcase the essence of both Buddhist and architectural excellence. Among them, the most iconic is China’s first bronze “Thousand Buddha Gate,” the tallest “Guanyin Pavilion” in Asia that accommodates the largest number of worshippers, and other rare treasures such as the “Yuantong Treasure Hall” and the “Five Buddha Crown.”

Transportation

Address: No. 150, Donglin Street, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai

Take Tourism Bus Line 7 (B line) directly; or take Metro Line 1 to Lianhua Road Station, walk through the railway underpass, turn right, and you’ll find the Lianjin Special Line and Lianfeng Special Line buses that go directly to Zhujing Town. After exiting the bus station, walk along Lincang Street to Dongfeng Road, turn right, and go straight to reach Donglin Temple.

Donglin Temple tickets are divided into three types: 10 RMB, 30 RMB, and 60 RMB, depending on the visitable attractions within the temple. (For reference only; please follow the official notices at the attraction.)