The Longhua Temple, literally 'Lustre of the Dragon Temple' is a Buddhist Temple dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha in Shanghai Municipality, China. It is the largest, most authentic and complete ancient temple complex in the city of Shanghai.
The temple was initially built in 242 AD, during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220 - 280). It was destroyed by war towards the end of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and rebuilt in 977 AD, during the Northern Song Dynasty. Several reconstruction and renovation made it the present scale. The temple was originally surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards. It is a big lure for people in surrounding cities when peach blossoms are blooming every year.
The temple follows the layout of a Song Dynasty (960 - 1276) monastery of the Buddhist Chan sect, known as the Sangharama Five-Hall Style. Five main halls are arrayed alongside the central north-south pointing axis.
The Maitreya Hall (Mile Dian) houses a statue of Maitreya Buddha, dubbed as 'Budai', or Cloth Bag Monk. In the Heavenly King Hall (Tianwang Dian), you will see the statues of the four mighty Heavenly Kings. The bell and drum tower are arranged on the sides of the Heavenly King Hall. The cast copper bell housed here is measured 2 meters (6.6 feet) high, weighed over 5 tons and about 1.3 meters (51 inches) in diameter. The annual Evening Bell-Striking Ceremony conducted on New Year's Eve attracts more and more people. In Sutra keeping Hall (Cangjing Lou), there is a big collection of Buddhist doctrines, various versions of Buddhist sutras and the like. The Grand Hall of the Great Sage (Daxiong Baodian in Chinese) is the main hall in the temple, where the statues of the holy Buddha Sakyamuni and his two disciples were laid. When you come to the back of the hall, you will see a base relief carving with the portrait of Guanyin included. In the Three Sages Hall (San Sheng Dian), there houses statues of the Amitabha buddha, and the Buddistavas Avalokitesvara (male form) and Mahasthamaprapta. Lectures and formals meetings are held in the Abbot's Hall (Fangzhang Shi).
The elegant and exquisite Longhua Pagoda, a relic remaining from the Song Dynasty, stands in front of the Longhua Temple. The present pagoda was rebuilt during the reign of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) with the classical style unchanged. It consists of a hollow, tube-like brick core surrounded by a wooden staircase. On the outside, it is decorated with balconies, banisters, and upturned eaves.
Longhua Temple Fair has been held since Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) period on the third day of the third month of the Lunar Calendar. It is the largest folk gathering in eastern China. Tourists have the chance to admire the peach blossoms at that time. While keeping traditional attractions like stalls, folk arts and games, some new activities like carnivals and DIY workshop have also become trendy and liked.
Nowadays, most people prefer to greet the New Year in a special way. Welcoming the excited moment in the melodious, heavenly sound of the bell is an interesting and memorable experience. On New Year's Eve, people like to line up to strike the huge bronze bells around mid-night in hopes of getting good luck in the New Year. The Evening-Striking Ceremony at Longhua Temple on 31st December has been considered as one of the eight great attractions of Shanghai.
Entrance Fee: CNY 10 for adults; CNY 5 for kids
Opening Hours: 07:10-16:30
Recommended Time for a Visit: 1.5 hours
Bus Routes: Take Bus No. 41, 44, 73, 87 or 104 and get off at Longhua stop.
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