Jing An Si (Jing An Temple)

Frommer's Review

Always lively and crowded, this garishly decorated temple has the longest history of any shrine in Shanghai, about 17 centuries (though the shopping annex is considerably more recent). Its chief antiquities are a Ming Dynasty copper bell (the Hongwu Bell) that weighs in at 3,175 kilograms (3.5 tons) and stone Buddhas from the Northern and Southern States period (A.D. 420-589). Although its name means "Temple of Tranquillity," it is hardly the place for quiet meditation these days, nor was it in the past. Before 1949, this was Shanghai's richest Buddhist monastery, presided over by the Abbott of Bubbling Well Road (Nanjing Xi Lu, as it was known in colonial times because of a well that was located in front of the temple), an imposing figure who kept seven mistresses and a White Russian bodyguard. Today's Southern-style main halls are all recent renovations using Burmese teakwood (youmu). The temple is also the headquarters and repository for the Mi Sect, a Chinese-originated Buddhist discipline that was all but extinct until it was reintroduced from Japan in 1953.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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