Jing'an Temple
A Tranquil Spot in the Bustling Heart of Shanghai
Tucked away in the downtown area of Shanghai‘s West Nanjing Road is a glorious thousand-year-old temple. It is the Jing’an Temple, a famous Buddhist temple in Shanghai. The Jing’an Temple was built in 247 AD, and has been rebuilt and restored for more than 1,700 years.
Many people call Jing’an Temple “the most expensive temple in China” because it is located in Shanghai’s busiest business district, and the 22,000 square meters of land alone is worth 3 billion yuan (equivalent to 420 million U.S. dollars).
The main building in the temple is the Shakya ManiHall.Inside the hall of the Shakya ManiHall is a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, made of 15 tons of sterling silver, the second tallest statue in the world. In the center of the square in front of the Shakya ManiHall stands a bronze furnace called the Blessed Wisdom Baoding. It is 10.23 meters high and weighs 15.5 tons. It is made of white bronze. The quiet temple is filled with fragrance and Sanskrit sounds, giving people a solemn and sacred feeling. It is really rare to have such a place to purify people’s mind in the busy city.
The main building in the temple is the Shakya ManiHall.Inside the hall of the Shakya ManiHall is a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, made of 15 tons of sterling silver, the second tallest statue in the world. In the center of the square in front of the Shakya ManiHall stands a bronze furnace called the Blessed Wisdom Baoding. It is 10.23 meters high and weighs 15.5 tons. It is made of white bronze. The quiet temple is filled with fragrance and Sanskrit sounds, giving people a solemn and sacred feeling. It is really rare to have such a place to purify people’s mind in the busy city.
Practical Travel Tips
- Coins on the ground in front of the incense burner are left untouched.
- Watch out for the burning incense—keep kids away; it’s really hot!
- When you exit the Jing’an Temple subway station, you might run into people trying to drag you into fortune-telling. Just ignore them.
- There’s a Dharma shop by the square in the temple where you can buy incense and blessed items like statues.
Hours and Fees
Hours
- May – October: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- November – April: 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Admission
- 50 CNY (about 7 USD)
How to Get to the Jing'an Temple
By Bus
- There are 19 bus routes to Jing’an Temple in Shanghai, including routes 20, 37, 40, 57, 76, 842, 321, 113, 830, 927, 15, 323, 824, 94, 315, 327, 330 (37 night snack line), 21, and 825. All of these buses stop at Jing’an Temple Station.
By Subway
- Take Line 2, Line 7, or Line 14 to Jing’an Temple Station. Just a heads-up: even though it’s a transfer station with 15 exits, there are no signs to the temple from the Line 2 and Line 7 areas. So, keep an eye on the signs inside the station!
