Shanghai - Jade Buddha Temple Yofu Si
The temple, situated in the northwest of the city in Anyuan Lu, houses two Shakyamuni statues which the monk Huigen brought with him from Burma. In order to find a fitting place to accommodate the statues, he collected funds for building a temple at Jiangwan in the northeast of Shanghai. The work was completed in 1882 but the building was destroyed in 1911 during the revolution.
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Seven years later an undertaking was made to rebuild the temple on a site nearer the old city, and this is how the present Jade Buddha Temple came into being. The building work took ten years to complete, from 1918-28. The temple is divided into three halls and two courtyards.
Related Attractions
Hall of the Great Hero
The charming Hall of the Great Hero (Daxiong Baodian) has Buddhas of the Three Ages, and also eighteen Luohan figures.
Hall of the Kings of Heaven
In the Hall of the Kings of Heaven (Tianwang Dian) stand statues of the four heavenly kings, a gilded Maitreya and a gilded Weituo.
Shakyamuni Sculptures
The two Shakyamuni sculptures were each carved from a single piece of white jade. The 1.9m/6ft high statue of the seated Shakyamuni can be found on the upper floor of the Wentang Main hall, where a collection of Buddhist manuscripts is also kept. The small reclining Shakyamuni (barely 1m/3ft long), portrayed entering Nirvana, is situated in a building in the west courtyard of the temple.
More China Resources
- Shanghai day trips and things to do by Viator
