I was Simply Blessed to Visit the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple
Buddhist Temples | admin | March 8, 2010 at 4:01 amThe Longhua (Luster of the Dragon) temple in Shanghai is the largest and busiest Buddhist temple devoted to the Maitreya Buddha and famous for its graceful pagoda and wonderful peach blooms in spring. Built in 247 AD during the reign of the Three Dynasties, the temple retains its architectural charm of a Song Dynasty monastery in form of the pagoda.
Legend
Sun Quan, King of the Kingdom of Wu, once gained the Sharira ruins – the remains of the Lord Buddha. The king decided to build 13 pagodas to preserve these sacred relics. One of them is the Longhua Pagoda (Longhua Ta) located in the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple complex.
The name of the temple is also given after a local legend that traces the appearance of a dragon on the site.
Prime Attractions
The layout of the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple is known as the Sangharama Five-Hall Style that belongs to a Song Dynasty monastery of the Buddhist Chan sect.
The Longhua Pagoda
This is the only surviving pre-modern pagoda in Shanghai rising as high as 40 m. With an eight-sided floor, the 
structure ascends with the decreasing size of seven storeys. This pagoda was constructed in 977 A.D. at the reign of the Song Dynasty. Once a site of many pagodas, the present pagoda holds a hollow brick interior enclosed by a wooden staircase. On the other hand, the exterior is adorned with verandas, banisters, and reversed roofs, which witnessed many restorations to maintain its alignment with the initial pattern.
Currently, this is not open to public due to its age and weak parts.
Five Main Halls
These halls are set along a central north-south axis in the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple complex.
- The Maitreya Hall (Mile Dian):
This is the home of two statues called Maitreya Buddha and Budai, a cloth bag monk that manifest the former one. - The Heavenly King Hall (Tianwang Dian):
Herein, you can pay homage to the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings. - The Grand Hall of the Great Sage (Daxiong Baodian or Mahavira Hall):
This is the main hall that boasts the statues of the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni) and his two followers. Behind the hall, a base relief carving wherein a portrayal of Guanyin or the Buddistava Avalokitesvara in his female form is worth noticing. Surrounding the front area, there are beautifully set 20 Guardians of Buddhist Law, while encompassing the rear is the 16 principal arhats under the carved dome. Do not miss to see an ancient bell since 1586 belonging to the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Lastly, glance at the complex sculpture of Kwan Yin leading over symbolic process of reincarnation. - The Three Sages Hall (San Sheng Dian):
Worship the three incarnations of Lord Buddha here as the Amitabha Buddha, the Buddistavas Avalokitesvara (male manifestation), and Mahasthamaprapta under a spiny red and gold dome. At the side passages, a room is packed with 500 small golden statues of arhats. - The Abbot’s Hall (Fangzhang Shi):
This is the area where lectures and formal meetings are held.
The Bell Tower (Zhong Lou)
Located next to the entrance, this is a three storey structure set opposite the central axis. It holds a copper bell of 2 m in height and five tons in weight. The bell is ringed at midnight on the event of the western New Year. The bell is hit 108 times that represent the most fortunate number in the East for assuring good luck to the human world. Even you can ring the bell only three times for ¥50. Do not miss a visit to the shrine of Ksitigarbha (Dizang the King Bodhissatva) located off the main axis.
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The Shanghai-Longhua-Temple preserves the architectural design of a Song Dynasty monastery of the Buddhist Chan sect. It is the largest, most authentic and complete ancient temple complex in the city of Shanghai.