Buddhism in Shanghai is a religion practiced by many Chinese, but beyond religion, it plays a role in Chinese culture and history. During the days of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism quickly grew as the most accepted religion of the time and was adopted as the official religion by the rulers. The years of Confucian teaching and Taoism cannot compete with the two main forms of Buddhism that emerged: Mahayana Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism. Although during the communist takeover all were encouraged towards atheism, the philosophical roots of Buddhism remained in the hearts of the people who believed and had already profoundly influenced Chinese culture through Buddhist arts and statues, teachings and architecture.
The Jade Buddha Temple, one of the most popular temples in Shanghai, was originally built in 1875-1908 during the Qing Dynasty. The temple was named “Jade Buddha” because two sacred Buddhas, made of white jade, were gifted to the temple by a wealthy Buddha follower, Chen Jun-Pu, from Burma. The story goes that the monk, Hui Gen, was on a pilgrimage to Burma and along the way he met Chen Jun-Pu, who gave him five Jade Buddha statues; two of the statues were specifically for the temple to be built located in Jian-wan. Chen Jun-Pu sent the statues to Shanghai and, with the help of HuiGen, was able to raise the necessary funds to build the temple. Unfortunately, after Hui Gen’s work to build the Jian-wan Temple, the temple was severely damaged during the Qing Dynasty revolt. Luckily, the two statues found a safe home during the revolt.
Years later, in 1918-28, another devoted Buddhist follower made a donation that enabled the construction of a new temple, the current temple at its location, to house the two white jade Buddhas. The two Buddhas, the first of which is the “Seated Buddha”, is 190 cm tall and decorated with agate and emerald; the second is the 96 cm long “reclining Buddha” whose posture is tilted to the right side. In addition to the original statues, another reclining Buddha was donated to the temple from Singapore in 1989 and this statue is 4 meters long, it must be larger than the original reclining Buddha.
In addition to the allure of the sight of the White Jade Buddha, the architecture of the temple is also noteworthy. The Devajara Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Jade Buddha Tower are the dominant halls that make up the temple. Adjacent to the main structures are the Kwan-yin Dian Hall, the Amitabha Dian Hall, the Zen Tang Hall, the Dining Room, and the Reclining Buddha Hall, all unique in style. You can also find thousands of Buddha’s teachings at the Jade Buddha Tower, which have significant cultural and religious value.
Even if you are not a practicing Buddhist, experiencing a Jade Buddha Temple tour is a must when in Shanghai. Hopefully, you will feel the tranquility of peace that is translated through the serene atmosphere of the temple. The temple’s hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. M. At 5:00 p. M. Every day; 5:30 a.m. M. – 5:00 p. M. The day of the Lunar New Year and the 1st / 15th day of the lunar month.
