Longhua Temple and Pagoda
The Oldest Temple and Pagoda in Shanghai
(South of Xujiahui best reached by Taxi)
Phone: (021) 6456-6085 or
(021) 6457-6327
Hours: 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Admission: 10 RMB
Nearest Public Transit: Shanghai Stadium Station, Line 1 and 4
The Longhua Temple (龙华寺) or Luster of the Dragon Temple is a Buddhist Temple dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha. Although most of the present-day buildings date from later reconstructions, the temple preserves the design of a Song Dynasty Buddhist Chan monastery. It is the largest and most complete temple complex in Shanghai.
The temple was first built in 242 AD, during the Three Kingdoms Period. According to a legend, Sun Quan, King of the Kingdom of Wu, obtained multi-colored stones which were believed to have been formed out of Buddha's cremated ashes. To house these precious relics, the king ordered the construction of 13 pagodas. Longhua Pagoda is said to have been one of them. The name of the temple has its origins in a legend that claims a dragon once appeared on the site.
The temple was destroyed in war towards the end of the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in 977 AD, during the Northern Song. The present architectural design is still in the style of Song Dynasty Temples. However, most buildings in the temple proper were rebuilt during the reigns of the Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperors in the Qing Dynasty. A modern restoration of the entire temple complex was completed in 1954. The temple and monastery were originally surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards. Viewing of the peach blossom in the gardens was an annual attraction but the gardens have been absorbed into the Longhua Martyrs Cemetery.
The Longhua Temple occupies an area of more than 20,000 square meters, the main axis is 194 meters long. The tallest structure is the 40 meter high Longhua Pagoda. The layout of the temple is that of a Song Dynasty Chan Buddhist monastery, known as the Sangharama Five-Hall Style. These five main halls are arranged along a central north-south axis.
- The Maitreya Hall housing a statues of Maitreya Buddha and the Cloth Bag Monk Buddha.
- The Heavenly King Hall housing statues of the Four Heavenly Kings.
- The Grand Hall of the Great Sage is the main hall, housing statues of Buddha and 2 disciples. At the back of the hall is a base relief carving, including a depiction of Guanyin. Around the front are arranged the twenty Guardians of Buddhist Law, and around the back the sixteen principal arhats. The hall also features an bell cast in 1586, during the Ming Dynasty.
- The Three Sages Hall houses statues of the Amitabha Buddha, and the two Bodhisattvas.
- The Abbot's Hall is a place for lectures and formal meetings.
- A Bell Tower and a Drum Tower are arranged off the central axis. The Bell Tower houses a copper bell cast in 1382 that weighs five tons and is used every New Year's Eve.
- Also situated off the main axis is a shrine to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The temple grounds have been used as a site for internment as well as for executions. Public executions were held on the site in the 19th century. In 1927, the Kuomintang carried out a purge of suspected communists in Shanghai. Thousands of victims of this purge were brought to the temple grounds to be executed. They are commemorated today by the Longhua Martyrs Cemetery behind the temple. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese operated their largest civilian internment camp in the area, where American, British, as well as nationals of other allied countries were held under poor conditions.
The Longhua Pagoda is the only remaining pagoda in Shanghai city. It has an octagonal floor layout. The size of the seven floors decreases from the bottom to the top. The pagoda consists of a hollow, tube-like brick core surrounded by a wooden staircase. On the outside, it is decorated with balconies, banisters, and upturned eaves. These outer decorations have been reconstructed in keeping with the original style.
Although previous pagodas existed on the same site, the current structure and form of the pagoda was built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), with later renovations.
The Longhua Temple Fair has been held since the Ming Dynasty period on the third day of the third month of the Lunar Calendar, the on which - according to the local legend - the dragons visit the temple to help grant the people's wishes. It coincides with the blossoming of the peach trees in Longhua Park. Since its inception, the fair has been an annual event interrupted only by the Cultural Revolution and the SARS outbreak.
