Yu Hao Chan Temple

Yu Hao Chan Temple

Yu Hao Chan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yu Hao Chan Temple is located in the southern part of Jinze Town, Qingpu District. Originally built in the first year of the Jing era during the Song Dynasty (1260), it is said to have been named after the former residence of Lü Yihao, a prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. It was initially called Cao'an, also known as Yong'an An. Later, the residence was acquired by the Fei Fuzhi family, who converted it into a scripture hall and appointed the monk Daochong as its head. In the 25th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1288), by imperial decree, the temple was elevated from a monastery to a full-fledged temple and renamed “Yu Hao Chan Temple.” The construction of the side gate of the Mahavira Hall, two corridors, and initial facilities were completed. In the first year of the Yuanshun era of the Yuan Dynasty (1295), major expansions included the grand mountain gate, Mandarin Duck Tower, Heavenly King Hall, Maitreya Hall, Patriarch Hall, Incense and Milk Hall of the Water and Fire God Temple, Wenchang Shrine, Lingyun Pavilion, Smiling Hall, Tianxiang Pavilion, Bodhi Grove, Yuantong Hall, Plum Snow Pavilion, Yijing Courtyard, as well as over twenty other structures such as the Golden Crucian Carp Pond and stone rockery. The temple houses 15 stone steles inscribed with writings by celebrities from various dynasties, including paintings by Tang Dynasty’s Wu Daozi, the Diamond Sutra calligraphy and his artwork “Continuous Clouds” by Yuan Dynasty’s Zhao Mengfu, along with stone carvings.

At that time, Yu Hao Temple was grand in scale, with towering halls and majestic Buddhist banners, capable of housing a thousand monks, hence earning the title of ancient temple. From the 14th to the 16th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1381–1383), the monk Dayuan carried out renovations. However, over the years, the temple suffered repeated destruction due to wars and was rebuilt multiple times. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1906), it was renovated again, though its scale was no longer as grand as before. On the fourth day of the first lunar month in the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), most of the temple was destroyed by Japanese artillery fire, leaving only the Heavenly King Hall and the grand mountain gate. In 1958, the site was demolished, leaving only one “Yu Hao Chan Temple Record” stele, several ancient ginkgo trees, 14 broken pieces of the “Continuous Clouds” stone carving, 16 pillar bases from the halls, and a small number of rockery stones.

The “Continuous Clouds” stone of Yu Hao Chan Temple consists of multiple bluestones, originally situated on the stone railings of the lotus pond in front of the Mahavira Hall, featuring calligraphy by the great Yuan Dynasty artist Zhao Mengfu. Stretching over 40 meters in length, the stones are named for the cloud patterns carved on three sides. Built between 1290 and 1300 during the Yuan Dynasty, the carving is over 700 years old. Due to the varied depictions of clouds, it is also called “Different Clouds,” with over 20 meters still preserved today.

After being restored in 1992, Yu Hao Chan Temple constructed a stone archway and rebuilt structures such as the Guanyin Hall, mountain gate, main halls, and monastic quarters. It now covers an area of 4,332 square meters, with a construction area of over 1,000 square meters. In 1951, Yu Hao Chan Temple was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Qingpu District. In July 1992, with approval from the People's Government of Qingpu District, it was officially opened as a Buddhist activity site. Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China, personally inscribed the temple name “Yu Hao Chan Temple.”