Donglin Temple
2024-03-18 /
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东林寺
Donglin Temple is a famous temple located in Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai, in the southwest of the city. Originally named Guanyin Hall, it was established in the Yuan Dynasty's Dade Year (1308). Unlike some modest ancient temples, Donglin Temple presents a grand and imposing presence. Here, you can witness one of the Great World Guinness Records for "the tallest copper gate" - the Thousand Buddha Gate, the tallest indoor Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue, and the renowned outdoor 500 Arhat Mountain in China, offering a unique Buddhist atmosphere. For seven hundred years, the temple has been a thriving place of worship, despite being repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt due to wars and fires. Before the latest reconstruction, only one main hall remained, yet the incense continued to burn. After a comprehensive reconstruction in recent years, the new Donglin Temple was unveiled in 2007, with a grand opening ceremony attended by prominent Buddhist figures such as the then-president of the Buddhist Association of China, Master Yichen, to bless the people. The temple continues to thrive today.
The architectural style of Donglin Temple is unique, with the main temple buildings constructed around a large artificial mountain, creating a harmonious blend of mountain and temple. The temple complex includes attractions such as the Round Wisdom Hall, the Great Heroic Hall, the Guanyin Pavilion, the Good Wealth Pavilion, the Buddha Head, the Thousand Buddha Gate, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Golden Vow Bridge, the Five Buddha Crown, and the Golden Lotus Pond (featuring the cloisonné Good Wealth Boy). Visitors must first pass through the Three Gates, which combine the ideas of Pure Land Buddhism and are unique and solemn among Chinese Buddhist temples. Beyond the gates, one can see the Golden Lotus Pond, with the national treasure of the cloisonné Good Wealth Boy Buddha statue at its center, known as "the unique feature of Donglin."
The temple also houses a diverse array of 500 Arhats and the "Thousand Buddha Gate" of Chinese Buddhism, both distinctive features of Donglin Temple. The temple's enshrined Spirit Rain Guanyin is known alongside the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and the Lingshan Buddha in Wuxi as one of the "Three Spirits" of Chinese Buddhism. The Round Wisdom Treasure Hall contains a "hall within a hall" made of brass, housing a majestic statue of the Yuan Dynasty "Spirit Rain Guanyin" carved from a single piece of 1.8-ton Xinjiang Hetian jade, considered the temple's treasure.
Opening Hours:
from 08:00 to 16:30
Preferential Policies:
Children: under 1.3 meters (inclusive) or aged 6 (inclusive) and below, free admission.
Elderly: aged 70 (inclusive) and above, free admission.
Disabled persons: with valid ID, free admission.
Active duty military personnel, martyrs' survivors, and families of military personnel who died in service or from illness: with valid ID, free admission.
Active, retired firefighters (including government professional firefighters) and firefighting academy students: with valid ID, free admission.
Additional note: The above information is for reference only. For specific information, please refer to the day's disclosures at Shanghai Donglin Temple. Free general admission (Guanyin Pavilion and Five Buddha Crown require separate payment).
Service Facilities:
Parking:
[Donglin Temple] Free of charge; Address: 150 Donglin Street; Number of spaces: 150.
WiFi: Account: ishanghai; Password: Verification login; Coverage: Full coverage.
Restrooms: Located in the corridors throughout the scenic area.
Restaurant: There is a vegetarian restaurant within the scenic area.
Address:
No. 150 Donglin Street, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai
Official Phone:
021-57314019
