Xingjue Temple

Xingjue Temple

Xingjue Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Originally named Yueming Nunnery, Xingjue Temple was first built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620) under the supervision of a monk named Xingben. In the 44th year of the Kangxi reign (1705) during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi made a southern inspection tour. The temple monk Benchong was summoned to Songjiang, and Emperor Kangxi inscribed the three characters “Xingjue Temple” as a plaque, from which the temple derived its name.

In the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), the temple was burnt to the ground during the battles involving the Taiping Rebellion. In the 4th year of the Guangxu reign (1878), monk Yongji raised funds to rebuild the temple. By the 1960s, religious activities at Xingjue Temple were halted, monks were disbanded, and the buildings were repurposed for other uses.

In April 1994, in response to the wishes of many Buddhist devotees, the Jinshan County Government approved the relocation and reconstruction of Xingjue Temple north of Fengyang Road in Fengjing and at the northern end of Bainiu Road. Religious real estate policies were implemented, allocating six mu (approximately 1 acre) of land for the temple’s reconstruction, while the remaining land was leased from local villagers. The temple officially opened to the public on August 26, 1995 (the first day of the eighth lunar month). To streamline relations and secure the temple’s rights, in 1999, land acquisition procedures were completed for areas outside the allocated land. The temple now covers an area of 10,185 square meters (about 15.28 mu), with a construction area of 3,025 square meters. Facilities include the mountain gate, side rooms, Ancestral Founders’ Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Avalokiteshvara Hall, General Building, guest rooms, monastic quarters, as well as the Nine-Grade Lotus Tower and a Liberation Pond.

Due to thriving incense offerings, in January 2005, construction began on a new Jade Buddha Tower and Merit Hall within the temple, both completed in December of the same year. The Jade Buddha Tower has a construction area of 968 square meters, and the Merit Hall spans 941 square meters. Both newly built structures are two-story buildings.

The main hall of the Jade Buddha Tower houses a 4-meter-long, 1.5-meter-high jade reclining Buddha of Shakyamuni on the ground floor. The second floor, with nearly 200 square meters of usable space, is home to the Hall of 500 Arhats. The ground floor of the Merit Hall’s main building is the Merit Hall itself, which can accommodate over ten thousand memorial plaques for deceased Buddhist devotees. The second floor enshrines the Four-Faced Thousand-Armed Guanyin Bodhisattva. In addition to the main halls, each building includes eight sets of premium guest rooms for devotees, each with 40 square meters of space, complete with full bathroom facilities and heating/cooling air conditioning. Xingjue Temple also plans to build a Scripture Depository behind the pagoda along the central axis, covering 588.53 square meters with a two-story antique-style design.

What leaves the strongest impression at Xingjue Temple today is the grand copper statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva at the entrance gate—standing 4 meters tall, 3.5 meters wide, and weighing 8 tons—that greets visitors with a smile. Flanking the Maitreya statue are two smaller side halls: one enshrining ancestral masters and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the other the Four Heavenly Kings. Each Heavenly King statue stands 3 meters tall, majestic and protective. The main hall, called the “Yuantong Treasure Hall,” enshrines Vairocana Guanyin, with 32 incarnations of Guanyin on display on either side. At the very end of the central axis stands the Nine-Grade Lotus Tower, a 30-meter-high, nine-story structure made from fine Yunjin stone with exquisite craftsmanship. To the east of the mountain gate lies the Sangharama Hall, and to the west a small garden. Above the Liberation Pond are two quaint pavilions that complement the water’s surface, where three clusters of lotus flowers float, and released fish swim freely—an especially charming scene.

Transportation Information

Address: Bainiu Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai (near Fengwan Road)

Transportation: Jinshan-Fengjing Line, Xincheng-Fengjing Special Line, Songjiang-Xin-Fengjing Line, Fengjing-Mei Line, Shihua-Fengjing Special Line, Fengjing No. 2 Road