Songyin Chan Temple

Songyin Chan Temple is located at No. 58, Songyin Huayan Pagoda Road, Tinglin Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai.

Songyin Chan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Known as the "Foremost Mountain in Southern Pudong," Songyin Chan Temple is the largest Buddhist sacred site in Jinshan District, located at No. 1080, Jiufeng Village, Tinglin Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai. Originally built in the 12th year of the Zhi Zheng era during the Yuan Dynasty (1352), it was initially named "Songyin Hermitage" and was established by the monk Master Weian (also known as De Ran Monk). Master Weian, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Huating. At the age of seven, he became a monk at Tianlong Temple in Hangzhou, later studying under Master Shi Wu on Wuxia Mountain in Jiangsu. In front of Master Shi Wu’s residence was a pine tree with dense foliage that cast a thick shade over the ground. One day, Master Shi Wu pointed to the pine tree and said to Weian, “You are like this pine; in the future, you will provide broad shade for others.” He also said, “Your karmic connection lies in Wusong.” Then he wrote the two characters “Songyin” (Pine Shade) for Weian. Following his teacher’s guidance, Weian soon returned to Chisong Stream in Huating, where he built a thatched hut, secluded himself for three years in meditation, and did not leave. The local villagers found him remarkable and held him in high esteem. A local named Wu Shan donated land and money, and funds were raised to build a temple for Weian. The construction was completed in the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1357), and Weian named the hermitage “Songyin.”

Twenty-three years after the hermitage was built, its scale gradually expanded, and halls, chambers, dining quarters, and living quarters were gradually added. In the 13th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1380), Weian raised funds to build the Huayan Pagoda next to Songyin Hermitage, greatly increasing its influence. In the 29th year of the Hongwu era (1396), Weian passed away. In the 12th year of the Zhengtong era (1447), the abbot Dao Ming expanded the hermitage. In addition to the existing Huayan Pagoda and other structures, he built the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Guanyin Hall, along with bell and drum towers. Later, Abbot Dao Ming petitioned the imperial court and received an imperial decree to rename the site “Songyin Chan Temple.” The historian Yang Xuan inscribed the plaque reading “Foremost Mountain in Southern Pudong.” During the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1427–1435), Abbot Wujiu expanded the hermitage into a full-fledged temple. With further expansions led by Master Xian and others, it took about a hundred years for the temple to eventually feature majestic halls, winding corridors, and a large monastic community.

During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was once completely destroyed. On April 11, 1991, with approval from the Jinshan County People’s Government, Songyin Temple was restored and reopened as a Buddhist site, and a new Mahavira Hall with a floor area of 260 square meters was constructed. The plaque reading “Songyin Chan Temple” was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China. Since then, the temple has enjoyed continuous incense offerings, frequent Buddhist ceremonies, and the unbroken sounds of sutra chanting day and night, throughout all seasons. In 1996, the Mahavira Hall was expanded, and in 2000, Songyin Chan Temple underwent further expansion.

Over its more than 600-year history, two ancient ginkgo trees in Songyin Chan Temple have witnessed the temple’s rise and fall, as well as the trials of history. One of the ginkgo trees, which was once burned, still survives tenaciously. Its charred trunk records the ignorance and folly of the Cultural Revolution.

Covering an area of 28 mu, Songyin Chan Temple features a main axis that includes the Guanyin Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Scripture Depository, and the Huayan Pagoda. The temple also houses side halls and living quarters. The Scripture Depository was newly built in 2000 as a two-story structure, with the first floor serving as a Dharma Hall and the second as the Scripture Depository. It has a floor area of 650 square meters, and the beams and ceiling are adorned with brightly colored, lifelike paintings of dragons, phoenixes, cranes, and floral motifs.

On January 2, 2008, Songyin Chan Temple held a ceremony to inaugurate its bell and drum towers and consecrate the statues of the Three Saints of Huayan. Representatives from the Buddhist community in various districts and counties of Shanghai, as well as nearly 3,000 devotees, attended the event.

Address: No. 1080, Jiufeng Village, Songyin Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai (northern end of Huayan Pagoda Road, National Highway 320)

Take the Hu-Jin Line, Nan-Jin Line (Nanqiao–Zhujing), Lian-Jin Special Line (Lianhua Road Metro Station–Zhujing), Lian-Feng Special Line (Lianhua Road Metro Station–Fengjing), or Xin-Jin Special Line (Xinzhuang Metro Station–Zhujing) to Songyin Villa (intersection of National Highway 320 and Huayan Pagoda Road), then walk straight along Huayan Pagoda Road for 300 meters to reach the destination.