Jade Buddha Temple

Located in Western Shanghai, Jade Buddha Temple is an active Buddhist temple. The temple was built in 1924 on a site where the original temple was constructed to keep two jade Buddha statues brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The 1.9 m high Buddha is adorned with agate and emeralds. It portrays the Buddha achieving enlightenment during meditation. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade lends sanctity to the beautiful statue. The smaller reclining statue portrays Buddha in a peaceful mood depicting Shakyamuni leaving this world. Both the statues—the sitting Buddha and the reclined Buddha—escaped destruction during the revolution. Besides these two main statutes, the halls are filled with many other Buddha statues, ancient paintings and Buddhist scriptures. There are around 7,000 Buddhist sutras which line the walls of Jade Buddha Temple. Stroll along the serene complex and soak in the spirituality. The vegetarian restaurant inside the temple is a great place to unwind after the tour of this small shrine. The restaurant is known for serving a variety of noodle dishes in Shanghai style.