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Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si), Shanghai

Photo © Green Grass. View all images in our Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si) Photo Gallery.
Photo © le niners.
Photo © le niners.
Photo © le niners.
Photo © Green Grass.
Photo © Alexandra Moss.
Photo © le niners.
Photo © Alexandra Moss.

Founded in 1882, the Jade Buddha Temple (Yu Fo Si) in Shanghai is a popular tourist destination for its two magnificent white jade Burmese Buddha statues.

History

The Yu Fo Si temple was founded in 1882 to house two white jade Buddhas brought from Burma the year before by a monk of Putuo Shan. Destroyed and then abandoned after the 1911, the temple buildings were reconstructed on the same site in 1918-28.

Now a monastery of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, the Jade Buddha Temple serves foreign tourists and local devotees in equal measures.

What to See

The Jade Buddha Temple is not famed for its architecture, which is very new and built in a standard Song Dynasty style, but the two Buddhas housed within. Both are made of white jade in Burma and depict Shakyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha).

The most impressive of the two is the seated Buddha, 2 meters (6 feet 5 inches) tall, weighing 205 kg (452 lb) and decorated with semi-precious stones. The other statue is a serene and beautiful Reclining Buddha about 1 meter (3 feet 4 inches) long.


Quick Facts on Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si)

Site Information
Names:Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si); Yu Fo Si
City:Shanghai
Country:China
cat:Temples; Monasteries
faith:Buddhism; Chinese; Zen
style:Song
Dates:1882; rebuilt 1918-28
Status:active
Visitor and Contact Information
Address:Anyuan Lu 170 , Shanghai, China
Coordinates:31.243380° N, 121.440167° E  (view on Google Maps)
Opening Hours:Daily 8am-4:30pm
Cost:¥20
Transport:No Metro
Phone:021/6266-3668
Lodging:View hotels near this location
Note: This information was accurate when first published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

Map of Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si)

Below is a location map and aerial view of Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si). Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse.

References

  1. Frances Wood, Blue Guide China, 2nd ed. (New York: WW Norton, 2001), 278-79.
  2. Yu Fo Si (Jade Buddha Temple) - Frommer's Shanghai

More Information

Article Info

Title:Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si), Shanghai
Author:Holly Hayes
Last updated:08/02/2009
Permalink:www.sacred-destinations.com/china/shanghai-jade-buddha-temple
Link code:<a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/shanghai-jade-buddha-temple">Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si), Shanghai</a>