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Shanghai Jade Temple
 Jade
Buddha Temple in Shanghai is an active temple, with 70 resident monks at
the last count. The 70 monks who live and work there can sometimes be
seen worshiping.
The temple was built between 1911 and 1918 in the style of the Song
Dynasty (960-1279), with symmetrical halls and courtyards, upturned
eaves, and bright yellow walls. The exterior is readily identifiable by
the bright saffron walls.
Inside, the centerpiece is a 1.9-meter-high white jade Buddha, which was
installed here after a monk brought it from Burma to Zhejiang Province
in 1882. The seated Buddha, encrusted with jewels, is said to weigh
about one thousand kilograms. A smaller, reclining Buddha from the same
shipment lies on a redwood bed. In the large hall are three gold-plated
Buddhas, and other halls house ferocious-looking deities. Artifacts
abound, not all on display, and some 7,000 Buddhist sutras line the
walls.
Note: No photography of the Jade Buddha is permitted, but postcards are
on sale and photography is allowed in the other rooms.
Alongside the temple is a branch of the Antiques and Curio Store, which
sells miniature sandalwood drums and gongs, replicas of the large ones
used in ceremonies. A vegetarian restaurant can be found on the temple
grounds.
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