It underlines the fracture that has occurred in the way jia (home/family) was recognized and lived as a focus of ritual activities, and it documents the subsequent enlargement of the ritual sphere that is taking place. It follows the evolution of the ritual practices of its former inhabitants until present day. This article focuses on a village of North Shanghai that has been integrated into urban life through demolition and relocation at the turn of the century. The entrance fee is quite pricey at RMB50, but there are numerous interesting features in the temple and the grounds are quite large and pleasant to roam around in.China's dramatic process of urbanization has profound influence on the country's religious communities, practices and psyche. The temple is open from 730am to 5 pm daily, and accessible via Exit 1 of Jing'An MRT Station. Like the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower is not opened to public. Next to the Bell Tower, is the Drum Tower where a gigantic ancient drum is kept. On Chinese New Year's Eve, the Peace Bell, together with the Ruyi Bell, kept in the Jing'An Pagoda, are struck simultaneously at midnight to ring in an auspicious and peaceful new year. The doors are locked and you can only view the bell through the glass panels. On the second floor, there is a Bell Tower where the Peace Bell, a copper bell made during the Qing Dynasty, is kept. Within the open mouths are coins that devotees have put in ! Spot also the coins standing on edge on the two carved wooden chairs along the corridor. On one side are closed mouths of some animal. In the back courtyard stand two evergreen trees lovingly pruned, adding to the tranquility of the place.Īs you stroll along the corridors, look up at the eaves. The carvings on the pillars are beautiful, as are those on the wall, depicting birds and deer. Round the back of this large hall are intricate full-colour stone collages of heaven, earth and hell, derived from Buddhist legends. Do not miss the main hall where the 15-ton Silver Buddha is. If you can read the Chinese characters, look for the hall where many go to pray for good health. In another hall rests the 3.78 m tall statue of the Jade Buddha, the largest sitting jade Buddha in the country.ĭo wander through the various halls. Perhaps that is why there are so many elephant motifs on the temple roofs. The entire structure is made of Burmese camphor wood. Go up the steps to the Guanyin hall where you'll be greeted by the 6.2m wooden statue of the Goddess of Mercy, standing on a wooden lotus base. It's a great fun way to raise funds for the temple. There's a donation box at the foot of the shrine for failures like me. Join the devotees/visitors and try to toss a coin into one of open spaces in the shrine. Upon entering, you'll see a tall gigantic tripod shrine in the courtyard. This ancient temple is juxtaposed with the brand-new shopping malls and office buildings in the same area. The roofs of the Jing'An Temple are made of copper and gleam in the sunlight. Jing'an Shi was originally built in 247AD, relocated in 1216 to its current site, rebuilt in the 19th century during the Qing Dynasty, converted into a plastics factory during the Cultural Revolution in the 60s and 70s, resumed its temple status in 1983, and renovated with the addition of the golden Jing'An pagoda in 2010. Now that we have seen the temple I will only go back when my parents visit, I do not need to see it again. It wasn't too busy (four days before the new lunar year) so it was very pleasant to walk around. Same thing for my wife (she isn't local either) luckily we had cash (can't remember the last time we carried any so we were sent inside and off into the room at the right, under the bell tower, which seems to be a place just for donations there was a walled area in the middle with coins and notes, like a dry wishing well. That was after trying to buy tickets - scanned a QR code, requested a text verification but it never came. Having seen the temple from outside on a number of occasions (living in in Shanghai since summer 2020) we finally got around to being in the area when it is open so we went in. It say here that 2-3 hours is needed we were there for less than one and that was fine. Tickets are 50RMB - open daily 7am to 5pm according to Smart Shanghai).
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