The Past of Jing’an Temple

The temple’s history dates back to the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). Initially, it was built on the northern bank of the Wusong River during the reign of Sun Quan, king of Wu.

Over the centuries, the temple underwent numerous cycles of destruction and reconstruction.

During the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-19th century, the temple was almost completely destroyed, with only the main hall remaining. The structure was rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and further restored in the 20th century.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the city designated the temple a cultural heritage site.

Jing‘an Temple is one of the most famous temples in Shanghai. It is located on West Nanjing Road, the hustle and bustle area of the city. In 1983 it was registered as one of the national protection places.

History

Jing’an Temple was first built during the Three Empires Period (220A.D to 280 A.D) and has had a history of more than 780 years. It was first titled Hudu Chong Yuan temple. However during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 A.D. to 1279 A.D.), it was relocated to its current place from the bank of Wusong River and it became an overcrowded and famous place in 1908. The first tram was built and Jing‘an temple was selected as its first station. Unluckily, the temple was destroyed by a fire in early 1972. The re-construction took place in 1984. Three Sage Hall and the Room of Heavenly Kings were also renovated to its current features. In 1990, Jing‘an Temple was re-opened to the public.

The old Jing‘an Temple was composed of eight scenes; they were extremely popular at that time period. Unfortunately 7 of them were extinct due to over construction around the area. Estavel was located in front of Jing‘an Temple; it was excavated on 5th May 2009. There was another famous scene in Jing‘an temple, it was named “Six Spring” because spring water gushed out day and night. But after re-construction, the Sixth Spring has been relocated to the crossing of Huashan Highway and West Nanjing Highway, and regained its previous reputation.

Main Halls and Events

In the temple there are three big halls – Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall and Three Sage Hall. Jing’an temple is famous for a portrait of the Sakyamuni; it is sitting in the Mahavira Hall. It is about 3.78 meters in height, 11,000ke in weight. It was so big that it had been torn down into several smaller pieces to be moved into the Mahavira Hall. The charming and tranquil expression of Budda conveys an atmosphere of auspiciousness and venerability.

There are a lot of folk and wonderful paintings as well as calligraphy by Yangzhou’s painters in the Display Hall of Buddhist Relics. A well-known master piece in the temple is a bronze bell made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Each year there is a traditional fair held at Jing’an Temple. The day falls on the 8th day of Lunar April celebrating Buddha’s Birthday. On the date, all village residents attend the event and sell their hand-made crafts as well as home produced veggies and fruits. The temple event lasts three days and many people nearly also participate in the event and worship throughout the fair.

Travel Information

Address: 1686 West Nanjing Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai

Admission Fee: RMB30

Opening Hours: 7:30am – 5:00 pm

Transportation

• Take Subway Line 2 or Subway Line 7 and get off at Jing’an Temple Station. Leave from Exit 1 to get to the temple directly.
• Take bus 15, 20, 40, 45, 57, 71, 76, 93, 94, 113, 138, 506, 824, 825, 830, 831, 921, 927, 925 or 939 and get off at Jing’an Temple.