Longhua Temple

Longhua Temple is the oldest and largest as well as most active Buddhist temple in Shanghai. It is especially famous for its 10th-century, seven-story octagonal pagoda. Longhua Temple is traditionally believed to have been founded around 247 AD by Sun Quan, the king of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. The pagoda dates from the 10th century. Due to fires and wars, most of the current temple buildings are fairly new. Due to its age and fragility, the interior of the Longhua pagoda is not open to visitors. Outside, the pagoda is made of wood and brick and tiny bells hang in its delicate eaves.

Longhua Temple occupies an area of over 20,000 square meters and the architectural proportion is about 5,000 square meters. Along the 194 meters long axis are the Maitreya Hall (Miledian), Devajara Hall (Tianwangdian), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Three Sages Hall (Sanshengdian), Abbot's Hall (Fangzhangshi) and the Sutras Keeping Hall (Cangjinglou) which keeps the three treasures of the temple including the Dazang sutras, the gold seals and the Buddhist statues. The most impressive of the four is the third hall, Daxionhbaodian, where a gilded statue of Sakyamuni sits under a swirling red and gold carved dome. He is flanked on each side by 18 arhats (disciples). Behind him, Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, presides over a fascinating tableau representing the process of reincarnation: a boat in the bottom right corner indicates birth, while death awaits at the bottom left corner.

The fourth hall, Sanshengdian, features three incarnations of the Buddha. Behind the third and fourth halls is a simple, popular vegetarian restaurant (11am-2pm), as well as the Longhua Hotel and a room filled seven rows deep with small golden statues.

 

Near the front entrance stands a three-story bell tower (Zhong Lou), where a 3.3-ton bronze bell is rung at midnight every New Year's Eve (Dec 31-Jan 1). The tower's 3,000-kilogram (3.3-ton) bronze bell, cast in 1894, is struck 108 times to dispel all the worries said to be afflicting mankind. For a fee of ¥10 ($1.25), you can strike the bell, but for three times only.