Jing'an Temple
Jing'an Temple (simplified Chinese: 静安寺; traditional Chinese: 靜安寺; pinyin: Jìng'ān Sì; Shanghainese: Zin'ue Zy; lit.: 'Temple of Peace and Tranquility') is a Buddhist temple on the West Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Jing'an District, where it is located, is named after the temple.
| Jing'an Temple | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photo of Jing'an Temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
  Location in Shanghai | |
| Geographic coordinates | 31°13′25″N 121°26′43″E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 247 AD |
History
The temple was first built in 247 AD in the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China. Originally located beside the Suzhou Creek, it was relocated to its current site in 1216 during the Song Dynasty. The current temple was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty but, during the Cultural Revolution, the temple was razed and turned into a plastic factory. In 1983, it was returned to its original purpose and rebuilt with the Jing'An Pagoda completed in 2010.
Features
Three Southern-style halls, each with its own courtyard, dating from the most recent reconstruction (1880):
- Hall of Heavenly Kings
- Hall of the Three Saints
- Hall of Virtuous Works
- The Mahavira Hall ("Precious Hall of the Great Hero"), the main hall
- To the east of the main hall is the Guanyin Hall. In the center of the hall is a statue of the goddess made out of camphor wood. Standing on a lotus-shaped base, it is 6.2 meters tall and weighs 5 mtric tons
- Opposite the hall is the Jade Buddha Hall, where a 3.8-meter jade Buddha sits in the center. It is the largest sitting jade Buddha statue in the country
- Abbot's Chambers
- Ming Dynasty copper bell (Hongwu Bell), weighing 3.5 tons
- Stone Buddhas from the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-589 AD)
- Paintings by master painters, Chu Zhishan, Zhang Daqian and Wen Zhenming[1]
Transportation
The temple sits on top of the Jing'an Temple Station, a major hub of the Shanghai Metro network where Line 2 and Line 7 intersect.
You can take Bus No.113, 40, 830, 824, 20, 15, 37, 21 to arrive Jing'an Temple.
There are also Shuttle Express Service provided from airports to Jing'an Temple. Pudong Airport Shuttle Bus Line No. 2 run from City Terminal (beside Jing'an Temple)
Opening Time
The temple opens at 7:30AM and closes at 17:00PM.
References
- "Tourist Attractions in Shanghai". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved Apr 16, 2014.
The night scene of Jing'an Temple
Inside the temple
Doors of the temple
The Well Room
Walkways
The grounds
The carvings on the stairs
This bell was the original temple bell
carvings
The right most beam of the temple is unfinished on the top.
Interior
The windows
Inside Jing'an Temple
Jing'an temple inside the modern urban area
Inside Jing'an Temple
External links
- Official Jing'an Temple website—(in Chinese)
- Chinadaily.com.cn: Article on Jing'an Temple—(in English)
- Travel China Guide on Jing An Temple-(in English)
