Jian'an Temple Shanghai

Although the temperature was somewhat north of 95 degrees, we decided to leave the comfort of our apartment and venture out into the big city.  Today’s destination was Jianan Temple in the center of Shanghai. 

Jianan Temple was originally built in 247AD during the The Kingdoms Era but it was not referred to as the Jingan temple until 1008 during the Song Dynasty.  In 1216 this temple was relocated to it’s present day site in the heart of Shanghai.

The only item which still exists from the Ming Dynasty is the copper bell.  In 1903 The Chinese Buddhist Association used the temple as it’s headquarters, and Buddhist monks have been living in this temple ever since.  The temple houses a collection of bronze, calligraphy, paintings and Buddha sculptures from most of the dynasties.  We enjoyed seeing so many  varied Buddha representations in one location.  The most unusual was the Female Buddha made of one 30 ton piece of camphor wood.  In addition the temple houses a pewter Buddha, a bronze Buddha, a large jade Buddha, and a sterling silver Buddha. 

In 1983 the temple opened for public religious activities and in 1998 the temple underwent a massive reconstruction.  The results are nothing short of amazing. Its large complex is nestled in one of the most densely populated areas of Shanghai which may seem at first thought to deter from it’s charm but like most of Shanghai, it is a city of contrasts and this is just another great way of getting a glimpse into eras past.

Shanghai is full wonderful cultural sites and despite the weather, we had yet another great time exploring Shanghai’s  history.

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