Jing'an Temple
2024-03-18 /
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静安寺
Jing'an Temple is located in the bustling Jing'an business district of Shanghai, with convenient transportation. Surrounded by high-rise buildings, it forms a stark contrast with the tranquil temple. The architectural style of the temple integrates Tibetan temple designs, and the Silver Buddha enshrined in the Mahavira Hall weighs a staggering 15 tons. The Jade Buddha in the Mani Hall is much larger than the Jade Buddha in the Jade Buddha Temple of Shanghai.
Before even entering the temple gates, you can see the tall pillar in front of the temple known as the "Zhengfa Jiu Zhu Fangzhuang." The front of the pillar is inscribed with the four large characters "Zhengfa Jiu Zhu," while the back is engraved with Su Shi's calligraphy of the "Diamond Sutra." The top features gilded four-faced lion statues, modeled after the Ashoka Pillar at the Sarnath Deer Park in northern India.
After entering the temple gates, you will find a large square. In the center of the square stands a massive incense burner made of 15 tons of white copper. Unlike other temples where the main halls are usually aligned along a central axis, Jing'an Temple's halls dedicated to the Bodhisattvas and the rooms where monks conduct their practices are connected and encircle the square, with two floors. Visitors typically walk around the square to view the first floor before ascending to the second floor.
On the right side of the first floor is the Guanyin Hall, which houses a 6.2-meter-tall Guanyin statue carved from a single piece of camphor wood that has stood for a thousand years. On the left side is the Mani Hall, which enshrines a 3.87-meter-tall Jade Buddha of Shakyamuni, significantly larger than the Jade Buddha in the Jade Buddha Temple. Due to its size, the temple's walls had to be dismantled to bring the Jade Buddha inside.
In the northwest corner of the first floor is the Jing'an Pagoda. The top of the pagoda features one large and four smaller Tibetan-style pagoda decorations. Inside, it houses 868 Buddha statues and many treasures of Tibetan Buddhism. However, the pagoda is generally not open to the public, and visitors can only admire it from the outside. Under the guidance of the abbot Chi Song, Jing'an Temple gradually leaned towards Tibetan Buddhism, which is evident in the architectural style that combines Han and Tibetan elements, especially noticeable in the Jing'an Pagoda and the pillar outside the temple with the inscription "Zhengfa Jiu Zhu."
On the second floor, the south side is the mountain gate, and the area is the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. On either side of the Hall of the Heavenly Kings are the drum tower and the bell tower, which are usually not open, allowing visitors to only peek inside through windows or cracks in the doors to see the large red drums and bells. On both the east and west sides of the second floor, you can see monks conducting their practices in many rooms; it is advised not to disturb them. On the north side of the second floor, directly above the hall used for preaching on the first floor, is the Mahavira Hall, which enshrines a 15-ton silver Buddha statue. The back of the statue features a three-dimensional mural that is exquisite and precious, made by piecing together various colored gemstones, corals, shells, jade, and pearls to form stories from Buddhist scriptures. The surrounding lotus petal-shaped frames are all gilded.
The roofs of Jing'an Temple's halls are covered with copper tiles, the four-faced lion statues on the high pillars in front are golden, and the top of the pagoda behind the temple is also gilded. From a distance, the entire temple is adorned with golden roofs, particularly striking and shimmering in the sunlight.
Operating Hours:
Open from 07:30 to 18:00
Must-See Tips:
1. Jing'an Temple has a thriving incense culture, and activities are held in the temple on the birthdays and commemorative days of various Bodhisattvas. There are also regular Buddhist activities such as lectures by eminent monks, with specific activities and times posted on the notice board next to the temple gates.
2. There is a vegetarian restaurant next to the Jing'an Pagoda, where the mixed vegetable noodles and mushroom noodles are both delicious.
3. After entering the main gate of Jing'an Temple, there is a place to get incense on the right-hand side. You can take it yourself, and the cost for the incense is 5 yuan, which can be given as a donation at your discretion.
Address:
No. 1686 Nanjing West Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai
Official Phone:
021-62566366
