Jing'an Temple
Encyclopedia
Jing'an Temple is a Buddhist temple
on West Nanjing Road, in Jing'an District
, Shanghai
, China
.
period. Originally located beside Suzhou Creek
, it was relocated to its current site in 1216 during the Song Dynasty. The current temple was rebuilt once in the Qing Dynasty
. It is currently undergoing renovation.
to Jing'an Temple station
.
Entrance Fee is 30 RMB (October 2011)
Open Time:8:00-17:00, except during Buddhist holidays
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
on West Nanjing Road, in Jing'an District
Jing'an District
Jing'an District is one of the central districts of Shanghai. It has an area of 7.62 km². With 305,300 inhabitants it is one of Shanghai's most densely populated districts....
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
History
The first temple was built in 247 AD, at the time of the Kingdom of Wu, during the Three KingdomsThree Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period. Originally located beside Suzhou Creek
Suzhou Creek
Suzhou Creek is a river in China that passes through the Shanghai city centre. It is named after Suzhou, a city in neighbouring Jiangsu province which was the predominant city in this area prior to the rise of Shanghai as a metropolis.One of the principal outlets of Lake Tai, Suzhou Creek has a...
, it was relocated to its current site in 1216 during the Song Dynasty. The current temple was rebuilt once in the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. It is currently undergoing renovation.
Features include
Three Southern-style main halls, each with its own courtyard, dating from the most recent reconstruction (1880):- Hall of Heavenly Kings
- Hall of the Three Saints
- Hall of Virtuous Works
- The Precious Hall of the Great Hero, or main hall
- To the east of the main hall is the Guanyin Hall. In the center of the hall is a statue of the goddess made out of camphorCamphorCamphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
wood. Standing on a lotus-shaped base, it is 6.2 meters tall and weighs 5 tonTonThe ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s - Opposite to the hall is the Jade Buddha Hall, where a 3.8-meter jadeJadeJade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
BuddhaBuddharupaBuddharūpa is the Sanskrit and Pali term used in Buddhism for statues or models of the Buddha.-Commonalities:...
sits in the center. It is the largest sitting jade Buddha statue in the country - Abbot's Chambers
- Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
copper bell (Hongwu Bell), weighing 3.5 tons - Stone Buddhas from the Southern and Northern DynastiesSouthern and Northern DynastiesThe Southern and Northern Dynasties was a period in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589 AD. Though an age of civil war and political chaos, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spreading of Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism...
period (420-589 AD)
Transportation
Jing'an Temple can be reached by taking Shanghai Metro Line 2Shanghai Metro Line 2
Line 2 forms the east-west axis of the Shanghai metro network, intersecting with the north-south axis Line 1 at People's Square. With a length of nearly 64 km, it is the longest line in the metro system. Line 2 runs from Xujing East in the west to Pudong International Airport in the east,...
to Jing'an Temple station
Jing'an Temple (Shanghai Metro)
Jing'an Temple is the name of an interchange station between Lines 2 and 7 of the Shanghai Metro. This station is located in Jing'an District and near the famous Jing'an Temple....
.
Entrance Fee is 30 RMB (October 2011)
Open Time:8:00-17:00, except during Buddhist holidays