Sited on the West Nanjing Road in Shanghai, Jingan Temple (“Temple of Peace and Tranquility”) is an ancient Buddhist temple with a history of more than 700 years. Not to be confused by the Temple of the Jade Buddha, they are differetn. This is an old temple said to have been built in AD 247.
This temple is mainly composed of three Southern-style main halls, each with its own courtyard, dating from the most recent reconstruction (1880), including, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Hall of the Three Saints and Hall of Virtuous Works. To the east of the main hall is the Guanyin Hall. In the center of the hall, there is a statue of the goddess made out of camphor wood, 6.2 meters tall. Weighing 5 metric tons, it is standing on a lotus-shaped base. Across Guanyin Hall is the Jade Buddha Hall, in which stands a 3.8-meter jade Buddha in the center. It is said that the largest sitting jade Buddha statue in the country.
In addition, Temple Fair is held in this place once a year. it is usually held on 8th day of Lunar April and lasts three days. Villagers all came here to sell handcrafted goods, agricultural and sideline specialty products, so during the temple fair, a lot of people from the nearby come here for worshiping. If you are interested in the local stuff, you may come to have some fun if you are in the city.
History of Jingan Temple
The temple was first built in 247 AD in the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China and was named Hudu Chongyuan Temple.. When it was originally built, it was located beside the Suzhou Creek. In 1216 during the Song Dynasty, it was relocated to its present address. The present temple was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. However, during the Cultural Revolution, the temple was transferred into a plastic factory. In 1983, it was returned to its original purpose. The first tramcar was built taking Jing’an Temple as its starting station. Later, a famous calligrapher renamed it as Jing’an Temple in 1945 and is still named as such today. After its reconstruction since 1980s, it was reopened to the public in 1990.
How to Get to Jingan Temple
You may take Subway Line 2 or 7 and get off at Jingan Temple Station. Or you can take Bus 15, 20, 927, 40, 45, 57, 71, 824,76, 93, 921, 94, 113, 825, 138, 506, 830, 831, 939 or 925 and get off at Jing’an Temple.