Green Dragon Temple and Pagoda

　　Green Dragon Temple and Pagoda are located in Baihe Qinglong Village. The temple was built in the second year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (743 AD), originally named Baode Temple, and was renamed Longfu Temple during the Song Dynasty. In the 54th year of the Kangxi reign (1715 AD), during the emperor’s southern tour, he passed by Qinglong, personally inscribed the plaque “Refined and Solemn Longevity,” and bestowed the temple name “Jiyun Chan Temple.” He also granted a crystal Guanyin statue, a lotus-shaped golden-splashed fan, and a apricot-yellow kasaya, collectively known as the “Three Treasures.” According to the Guangxu edition of the *Qingpu County Annals*, Green Dragon Temple covered an area of over 60 mu, with more than 450 mu of temple fields. Its architecture was grand, including the Mahavira Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Skanda Hall, meditation hall, dining hall, Yixiu Hall, QieXie Hall, Wenzue Hall, Chenghuai Hall, abbot’s quarters, east and west side halls, incense kitchen, storage rooms, and the Putong Pagoda, among others. The sounds of bells and drums never ceased, and Buddhist chants echoed throughout the night, earning it the reputation of “the most magnificent Buddhist site under heaven.” In the third year of the Jiaqing reign (1798 AD), a fire broke out, reducing the grand halls and pavilions to ruins. In the early years of the Daoguang reign, the temple monks rebuilt the halls. In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign (1860 AD), the temple suffered further damage during the military conflicts, with most of its structures destroyed. In the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936 AD), the temple monks raised funds to build the Guanyin Pavilion and a large bell, both of which no longer exist today. Only two stone tablets remain: (1) The Stele Record of the Revival of Green Dragon Longfu Temple, and (2) The Inscription on the Reconstruction of the Mahavira Hall of the Imperially Bestowed Jiyun Chan Temple.

　　Green Dragon Pagoda was built during the Changqing era of the Tang Dynasty (821–824 AD), originally named Longfu Temple Pagoda, also known as Green Dragon Wild Goose Pagoda, and commonly called Green Dragon Pagoda. It is an octagonal, seven-story brick-and-wood structure. The temple pagoda was renovated during the Kangding and Qingli eras of the Song Dynasty. In the third year of the Yuandade reign (1299 AD), the first year of the Zhihe reign (1308 AD), and the third year of the Zhizheng reign (1343 AD), Ren Renfa, a Qingpu-born painter and hydraulic engineer, along with his son Ren Xiande and grandson Ren Shizhi—three generations of the family—successively funded the repairs of the temple pagoda. In the 17th year of the Ming Chongzhen reign (1644 AD), a local resident named Zhu Mingjing restored the pagoda. In the fifth year of the Qing Shunzhi reign (1648 AD), the monk Baiyu renovated it anew. To date, the pagoda has been left unattended for over 300 years, with its stairs completely destroyed, eaves gone, body tilted, and structure in critical condition. In 1956, the bronze gourd at the top of the pagoda was blown off by a typhoon, bearing the inscription “17th year of the Chongzhen reign.” It is now housed in the Qingpu District Museum. In 1992, the pagoda leaned 1.56 meters off center, prompting the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee to invite the renowned structural rectification expert Professor Cao Shizhong to correct its tilt. The temple and pagoda were respectively listed as county-level and city-level cultural heritage protection units in 1959 and 1960.