Jade Buddha Temple
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Built to house two jade statues of The Buddha, the Jade Buddha Temple was founded in 1882. In the latter Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an abbot went on a pilgrimage to Tibet and Burma. He returned with several jade statues of The Buddha and the temple was built in Shanghai to house two of them. The original temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. The statues were saved and in 1928, a new temple was built at the present location and the statues were moved there.
The two Buddhas which give the temple its name are incredible works of art. Both are made from single pieces of pure white jade. The Sitting Buddha, which portrays The Buddha at his moment of enlightenment, is 190cm high and is decorated with agate and emeralds. The Lying Buddha is 96 cm long and portrays The Buddha at his moment of death. An extra ticket needs to be purchased to view the jade Buddhas.
The atmosphere of the temple is wonderfully peaceful and the architecture is very beautiful. The most important buildings are the Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings, and the Grand Hall. The Chamber of Four Heavenly kings is the first building visitors encounter. It contains statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, as well as statues of maitreya, Wei Tuo, and Bodhisattva. The Grand hall Located just after the Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings is filled withj incredible Buddhist statuary.
Visitors are welcome to stroll through the temple. Non-flash photography is allowed inside the temple buildings, which is unusual in China. Photography of the Jade Buddhas is not permitted.
