The most famous Buddhist temple in Shanghai, located in west part of the city near the intersection of Anyuan Lu and Jiangning Lu. In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues, which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. In 1918, the old temple was burned down and a new one was built in present site and named Jade Buddha Temple.
Still inhabited by monks, Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple and at sides are the Kwan-yin Dian Hall, the Amitabha Dian Hall, the Zen Tang Hall, the Dining-Room and the Recumbent Buddha Hall. The Seated Buddha is in the Jade Buddha Tower and the Recumbent Buddhas are in the Recumbent Buddha Hall. The temple also houses a number of ancient sculptures, rare paintings and Buddhist scriptures.
As one of most precious relics in the temple, The Seated Buddha is 1.9 meters (6ft) tall and was carved out of a single piece of white jade and is wearing a robe inlaid with precious jewels. Enshrined in the Recumbent Buddha Hall, the reclining statue of white jade, 0.96 meter long and lying on his side on a mahogany couch, is the image of Sakyamuni in nirvana with a serene and self-possessed expression.
The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society.
