Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The reclining jade Buddha
David Shen Kai/Apa Publications
JADE BUDDHA TEMPLE
It's a short taxi ride south of Suzhou Creek to one of Shanghai's major religious centres,
8am-4.30pm; charge), whose brightly hued yellow temple walls stand out in an otherwise
drab neighbourhood. The Song-style architecture belies the fact that this is a relatively new
structure, dating from 1918. Both the temple's popularity and its name derive from its pair of
exquisite jade Buddhas from Burma.
Enter the walled compound through the
san men
('three gate') entrance. The five halls
within include the Hall of Heavenly Kings, which has an enormous gilded image of the laugh-
ing Maitreya Buddha, and the Grand Hall, with the image of Sakyamuni Buddha meditating
on a lotus, flanked by the 20 heavenly kings.
