Jade Buddha Temple

Shanghai’s Most Revered Shrine

Jade Buddha Temple is a prolific Buddhist temple in Shanghai. It was founded in 1882 by Hui Gen, from an abbot from Mount Putuo. Hui Gen made a pilgrimage to Tibet via Mount Emei and Mount Wutai, two famous Buddhist mountains. Then, he arrived at Burma where he obtained five jade statues of Buddha donated by an oversea Chinese resident.

Passing through Shanghai, Hui Gen left two jade statues and had a temple built to house them. In 1911, the temple was ruined in an uprising. In 1918, the Temple was reconstructed at a new site. During 10 years of Culture Revolution, the temple was destroyed again. Fortunately, the two jade statues were well protected.

The temple contains the Hall of Four Heavenly King, Grand Hall, abbot room, Jade Buddha Chamber and a public restaurant. The Hall of Four Heavenly King has three scarlet gates which symbolize freeing yourself from worldly affairs in Buddhism. The hall enshrines Maitreya and Four Heavenly King who represent favorable circumstance. The Grand Hall contains the statues of Three Golden Buddha.

In the center is the statue of Sakyamuni, to the right, Bhaisajyaguru, and on the left, Amitabha. At the north entrance to the Grand Hall stands the statue of Avalokitesvara (the Bodhisattva representing the compassion of all Buddhas) with her two disciples on both sides. Jade Buddha Chamber enshrines the sitting jade Buddha left by Hui Gen on the second floor. This jade Buddha is just over 6 feet (1.92 meters) high and weighs 1 ton.

On both sides of the jade Buddha are cabinets which hold over 7,000 volumes of precious Buddhist scriptures. On the first floor is abbot room where a Sakyamuni portrait hangs on the wall.

Another jade Buddha, a reclined Buddha, is in the west section of the temple. In 1989, a Singapore believer donated a reclined Buddha enshrined on the opposite side of the jade reclined Buddha.