Jade Buddha Temple

Courtyard and main building in the Jade Buddha Temple

While in Shanghai, we visited the Jade Buddha Temple. It is an active Chan Buddhist monastery that features both a sitting Buddha and reclining Buddha carved from solid white jade stone. The statues were brought to Shanghai from Burma in 1882 by a monk named Huigen. The original temple, built in 1882, was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and was replaced in 1928 by the current temple building. The temple, with its classical Chinese architectural style, served as a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the ever growing city outside.