Jing'an Temple

　　Jing'an Temple is one of the nationally key Buddhist temples in Han Chinese regions, one of the ancient temples of the Shingon sect in Shanghai, and a Shanghai municipal cultural heritage site.

　　The architectural layout of Jing'an Temple follows a strict central axis. From south to north, it includes the Mountain Gate, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Mahavira Hall, and Dharma Hall. The Mountain Gate of Jing'an Temple faces south and is integrated with the Heavenly King Hall. The ground floor of the gate is paved with high-quality granite, and the semi-elliptical arch is carved with cloud patterns from the Song Dynasty. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower are located on the east and west sides respectively. The ground floor of the Bell Tower houses the “Sixth Best Spring under Heaven”—the Yongquan Spring—restored here, above which hangs a finely cast 7.3-ton Peace Bell. The Drum Tower is built over the subway entrance and exit using an elevated structure, with a large 3.38-meter-diameter ox-hide drum placed on top.

　　Dharma Hall

　　The Dharma Hall of Jing'an Temple is located just north of the Mahavira Hall and is directly connected to it. It is constructed with teak wood and features a copper-tiled roof, standing seven stories tall and reaching a height of 32.22 meters. Shanghai's Jing'an Temple follows the “Song Dynasty architectural methods,” incorporating decorative elements such as roof ridge ornaments (including the main ridge beast, crouching ridge beasts, hanging ridge beasts, corner beasts, and covering beasts), overhanging eaves, and bracket sets. On this foundation, it integrates Buddhist characteristics, using distinctly Buddhist motifs such as elephants, lotuses, and other symbolic patterns for decoration. The main structural materials of the temple are imported Burmese teak, with yellow and dark gray glazed tiles and copper tiles covering the roof. Major ornaments (such as ridge beasts and spire ornaments) are all gilded. The layout follows traditional Chinese architectural styles, integrating gates, halls, and corridors.

　　Mountain Gate

　　The Mountain Gate of Jing'an Temple is integrated with the Heavenly King Hall and has a two-story structure. Its facade is clad in granite, with wooden features made of teak and a yellow glazed tile roof. The four characters “正法久住” (The True Dharma Will Long Abide) on the roof ridge reflect the Buddha’s intent. The lower level has three central teak doors adorned with copper nail decorations, surrounded by stone carvings of Buddha’s hands, lotuses, and the Eight Auspicious Symbols. The main gate features a stone-carved couplet: “May the Buddha’s hands be lowered in blessing” and “So that all hearts may be calmed alike.” A stone-carved evergreen ornament is featured on each side of the gate. The second-floor corridor is enclosed by white marble railings, with teak used inside.

　　Bell Tower

　　The second floor of Jing'an Temple houses the Peace Bell, which is 3.3 meters high, 2.1 meters in diameter, weighs 7.3 tons, and is cast in bronze. Its tone is deep and resonant, with a long-lasting echo. The lower level restores one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Jing'an”—the Yongquan Spring, also known as the “Sixth Best Spring under Heaven.” It blends with newly drilled underground spring water from a 156-meter-deep well. The viewing well of the Yongquan Spring is 6 meters deep, with a hexagonal opening made from a single piece of Jinshan stone. The entire well is constructed from 666 pieces of granite, with one piece at the bottom weighing up to 6,000 jin (3,000 kg).

　　Guanyin Hall

　　The Guanyin Hall of Jing'an Temple is located in the center of the east wing. The hall is 20.6 meters high and enshrines a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue carved from a single camphor wood log. The roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, creating a striking contrast with the dark gray tiles of the east wing, highlighting the solemnity of the hall. The east wing has a two-story corridor structure, connecting integrally with the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Towers, Mahavira Hall, and Dharma Hall.

　　Muni Hall

　　The Muni Hall is located in the center of the west wing. The hall is 20.6 meters high and enshrines a white jade statue of Muni Buddha. The roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, creating a striking contrast with the dark gray tiles of the west wing, highlighting the solemnity of the hall. The west wing has a two-story corridor structure, connecting integrally with the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Towers, Mahavira Hall, and Dharma Hall.

　　Mahavira Hall

　　The Mahavira Hall is 26 meters high, featuring a hip-and-gable roof with double eaves. It houses 46 carefully crafted teak pillars with diameters ranging from 0.72 to 0.8 meters, using over 3,000 cubic meters of wooden material. The roof of the Mahavira Hall is covered with copper tiles. Inside, it enshrines a 15-ton pure silver statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The ground floor of the hall serves as a thousand-person Dharma assembly hall, while the basement contains a 1,000-square-meter scripture storage room that will house 130,000 stone-carved sutra tablets to preserve them for future generations. On either side of the Mahavira Hall are the east and west wings, connected to the rest of the temple via two-story ornamental corridors. The edges of the corridors are lined with white marble lotus pillars and railings. The east wing houses the Guanyin Hall, which enshrines a 6.2-meter-tall thousand-year-old camphor wood Guanyin statue. The west wing houses the Muni Hall, which enshrines a 3.87-meter-tall, 11-ton sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha carved from a single block of Burmese white jade. At the center of the square in front of the Mahavira Hall stands the newly erected Fuhui Tripod. Cast in cupronickel, the Fuhui Tripod weighs 15.5 tons and is 10.23 meters high. It stands atop a 36-ton base carved from a single piece of evergreen stone. The side of the tripod is inscribed with a historical account of the ancient temple’s legacy, personally written by Venerable Huiming.

　　Jing'an Pagoda

　　Jing'an Pagoda is a seven-story square structure, covering a ground area of 85 square meters and a total construction area of 952 square meters. The spire is designed in the style of a Vajra Throne Pagoda, cast in bronze and gilded on the surface. The Golden Buddha Hall is located on the highest floor of the Dharma Hall behind the Mahavira Hall. It is built in the architectural style of the Song Dynasty, featuring a teak and copper roof structure. The hall will enshrine a two-ton pure gold statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. At 20 meters high on the eastern and western tops of the Dharma Hall, the Zhi'en Pavilion and Bao'en Pavilion are constructed, corresponding visually with the Bell and Drum Towers in front of the temple.

　　Address: No. 1686 West Nanjing Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

　　Type: Historical Building & Temple

　　Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

　　Phone: 021-62534419

　　Opening Hours:

　　5:30–17:00, 4:30–17:00 during peak worship periods

　　Transportation

　　Metro Lines 2 and 7, Jing'an Temple Station; Bus Routes 21 and 825 (final stop at Jiaozhou Road); Routes 37, 62, 562, and 838 (final stop at Meilinyuan); Route 40 (final stop at International Garden Hotel); Route 57 (final stop at Anyi Road). Buses passing by Jing'an Temple include Routes 15, 20, 45, 71, 76, 93, 94, 113, 138, 506, 824, 830, 831, 921, 927, 925, 939, and various airport shuttles.

　　Admission

　　30 RMB, free during peak worship periods

Jing'an Temple