Longhua Temple

Longhua Temple traces its foundation to the third century by tradition, with the present pagoda dating in origin to 977 and the halls largely rebuilt in the nineteenth century after destruction during the Taiping wars. It is the largest complete temple complex in Shanghai, five main halls on an axis with a bell tower whose bell is rung a hundred and eight times at new year, an event that draws crowds. The seven-storey octagonal pagoda beside it, forty metres tall in brick and timber, cannot be climbed but is the temple's emblem. Peach blossom in the surrounding park in late March is a Shanghai tradition, and a vegetarian restaurant operates in the grounds.

History

Tradition dates the temple to 242, in the Three Kingdoms period, when Sun Quan of Wu is said to have ordered thirteen pagodas built for relics of the Buddha, Longhua Pagoda among them; its name comes from a legend of a dragon appearing on the site. Destroyed at the end of the Tang, it was rebuilt in 977 under the Kingdom of Wuyue, renamed Kongxiang Temple in 1064 and given back its old name under the Wanli Emperor; the core of the pagoda survives from the Song, most of the halls were rebuilt under the Tongzhi and Guangxu emperors, and peach blossom viewing in its gardens drew visitors from the surrounding cities (Wikipedia, Longhua Temple).

The main sights

• The pagoda - the forty-metre octagonal tower, tenth century in origin.
• The five halls - the axis of temple buildings with their images.
• The new year bell - rung a hundred and eight times at midnight on 31 December.
• The peach blossom - flowering in the surrounding park in late March.

When to go

March to May and September to November; peach blossom in late March and the new year bell ceremony are the two peaks. Buddhist festival days bring worshippers. Mornings are quietest.

What to expect

The pagoda is closed to climbing. Much of the complex is nineteenth-century rebuilding. The temple is active and photography inside halls is restricted. The surrounding district is ordinary modern Shanghai.

Nearby

The Longhua martyrs cemetery is adjacent; central Shanghai lies north.

Key facts