Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì), Shanghai

Red lanterns at the Jade Buddha Temple. Photo Green Grass.

Circle door. Photo Green Grass.

Another circle door. Photo Alexandra Moss.

Photo Aapo Haapanen.

Prayer wheels. Photo Alexandra Moss.

The Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì) is a Buddhist temple in Shanghai, China. It is an active Chan (Zen) Buddhist monastery but the real emphasis is squarely on tourism. What the busloads come for are the temple's two gorgeous white jade Buddhas.

Jade Buddha Temple was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Burma by sea, a seated Buddha (1.95 metres tall, 3 tonnes), and a smaller reclining Buddha representing his peaceful death. The temple now also contains a much larger reclining Jade Buddha, donated from Singapore, and visitors sometimes mistake this larger sculpture for the original, smaller piece.

History

During the rule of emperor Guang Xu in the Qing dynasty (1875-1908), Hui Gen, an abbot from Mount Putuo went on a pilgrimage to Tibet via the two famous Chinese mountains Mount Wutai and Mount Emei.

After Tibet, he arrived in Burma. While there, Mr. Chen Jun-Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade statues of Buddha to Hui Gen, who transported two of them back to Jiang-wan, Shanghai.

Here Hui Gen had a temple built with donated funds, and died shortly thereafter. This temple was occupied during the 1911 uprising, and the statues were moved to Maigen Road.

An Abbot by the name of Ke Chen later had a new temple built on land donated by a Mr. Shen. The construction took ten years, and lasted from 1918-1928. Ke Chen also invited Reverend Di Xian from Tian Tai mountain to come and lecture on Buddhism in a magnificent ceremony.

In 1956, a ceremony was held at the temple by the Shanghai Buddhist Association to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of Gautama Buddha's enlightenment. In 1966, during the cultural revolution, the monks made a living by selling selling handicrafts.

In 1983, Shanghai Institute of Buddhism was established at the temple under the Shanghai Buddhist Association. In 1985, Monk Zhizhi Xuan and others made a trip to Dunhuang via Xinjiang. Shortly after their return regular scripture lectures, meditation and other features of temple life were resumed.

What to See

The Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings contains a laughing Maitreya, a Wei-to Boddhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings, who represent favourable circumstance. The chamber is located on the southern-edge, or 'front' of the temple.

The Grand Hall, also called the Great Hall, this hall contains many statues, including:

Three Golden Buddhas. The central sculpture is of Gautama Buddha, the left of Amitabha and the right of Bhaisajyaguru.
Gods of the Twenty Heavens. The Gods of the Twenty Heavens, covered in gold, line the eastern and western sides of the Grand Hall.
18 Arhats. 18 unique golden Arhats stand in two groups of nine.
Guanyin, Shen Cai and his 53 teachers. A large golden statue of Guanyin stands on at northern entrance to the Great Hall, with Shen Cai at her side and sculptures representing the 53 teachers of his life above.

The Jade Buddha Chamber is in the northern section of the temple, on the second floor. A fee of 10 yuan is charged to ascend to it. Some additional Buddhist sculptures are also viewable in the antechamber.

The public restaurant is located on level two at the eastern edge of the temple and equipped with its own street entrance. Open daily, it serves a range of noodle dishes for five yuan per bowl, the most popular of which is double mushroom noodles. Other dishes are served at moderate prices.

The temple also contains a private restaurant for the use of monks and temple volunteers, which is at the western edge of the temple complex. There is a visitor services office adjacent to the southern entrance, and a Buddhist library is also on the premises.

Quick Facts

Location:	Anyuán Lù 170, Putuó (northwest Shànghai, west of Jiangníng Lù, 6 long blocks north of Beijing Xi Lù)
Contact:	021/6266-3668
Hours:	Daily 8am-4:30pm
Cost:	¥15 ($1.80)
Metro:	No Metro

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Jade Buddha Temple. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Shanghai Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Sources

Wikipedia
Frommer's Shanghai, 3rd edition

More Information

Jade Buddha Temple Official Website (in Chinese)
Jade Buddha Temple - China Highlights