Songjiang ZiQing Temple

Songjiang ZiQing Temple

Songjiang ZiQing Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Legend has it that ZiQing Nunnery was first built during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), originally named ZiQing Nunnery. Since the nunnery was located on the north bank of Puxi in Songjiang Prefecture, with Xiaolai to the east and Panxi (Panlong Pond) to the west, offering convenient water and land transportation, the number of pilgrims and merchants increased day by day. To provide travelers with a place to rest, a pavilion was built at the Puxi riverside south of the nunnery. This pavilion was situated exactly at the midpoint between Qibao and Sijing, about eighteen li apart — that is, at the nine-li mark — hence it was named Jiuli Pavilion, and ZiQing Nunnery also became known as Jiuli Nunnery. From then on, a market formed around ZiQing Nunnery, which eventually developed into today’s Jiuting Town.

From its establishment until the eve of liberation, ZiQing Nunnery went through many trials, experiencing several rises and declines, and was ultimately destroyed in war. In October 2005, to meet the needs of local worshippers in the Jiuting area of Songjiang for prayer and Buddhist worship, and with approval from the Songjiang District Religious Affairs Office, reconstruction of ZiQing Nunnery began, and it was officially renamed ZiQing Temple. As the original site of ZiQing Nunnery was in the center of Jiuting Town and no longer available, ZiQing Temple was relocated and rebuilt at a new site on Laiting South Road within the jurisdiction of Beichang Neighborhood Committee in Jiuting Town.

Through dedicated efforts, by the end of 2010, ZiQing Temple had completed major structures such as the Heavenly King Hall and the Mahavira Hall. The mountain gate is a three-bay, multi-eave, staggered-roof structure, with a plaque bearing the temple name “ZiQing Temple,” inscribed by Master Jingkong in the spring of the Year of Dinghai (2007), hanging high in the center. Beyond the mountain gate lies the Heavenly King Hall, whose plaque was inscribed in the Buddhist year 2553 (2009). Behind the Heavenly King Hall is the Mahavira Hall, the main structure of ZiQing Temple, where Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined at the front and Guanyin Bodhisattva at the back. Above the back door of the Mahavira Hall hangs a plaque inscribed with the words “Universal Salvation” by the esteemed Master Qi Gong. Both the Heavenly King Hall and the Mahavira Hall feature hip-and-gable roofs, with gray tiles, yellow walls, golden plaques, and red frames, presenting a strikingly solemn and dignified appearance. The final structure along the central axis of ZiQing Temple is a single-story, flush-gable-roofed shrine called the Sangharama Hall. The Sangharama Bodhisattva, as the guardian deity of the temple, protects ZiQing Temple from evil during its restoration and revitalization, ensuring peace and enduring blessings.

ZiQing Temple serves as the central link in Jiuting Town, connecting the two major temples — Qibao Jiao Temple in Qibao Town and Futian Jing Temple in Sijing Town. It reflects both the market culture of the Songjiang region at the time and highlights the importance of geographical location in the formation of temples.

Transportation Guide

Address: 150 meters left after reaching the end of Laiting South Road, Jiuting Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai

Transportation: Take bus routes 40, 41, 43, 44, or 1841 within Songjiang District and get off at Yao Bei Road Station.