The Longhua Temple in Shanghai

The Longhua Temple with its landmark Pagoda is Shanghai’s oldest temple, first erected in 242 AD, back in the Three Kingdoms era well over 1700 years ago. Due to its long history and the ravages of war and decay, the temple was rebuilt several times, and much of the surviving buildings were reworked during the Qing dynasty, and again restored in recent decades.

The Pagoda is one of seven originally built to house sacred Buddhist relics acquired by Sun Quan, King of Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms, so the legend goes. It stands in front of the original temple entrance gateway and comprises seven octagonal storeys tapering to a height of over 40m. The seven tiers of wooden floors and balconies, each with tiled curved eaves, are built around a central brick core which is about the oldest part of the whole temple.

The Longhua temple complex is located on Longhua Road and its grounds sprawl over 20,000 sq. m. It is dedicated to the Meitreya Buddha and constructed in the Song Dynasty style. The five main halls are arranged along a north-south axis, housing statues, scriptures and other sacred objects including the Dazang sutras and the gold seals.

In addition there are the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, the latter being a three-storey structure with a 3m high bronze bell which is struck on new year’s eve in a much anticipated ceremony that attracts thousands.

The Longhua Temple has a dark side. During the Kuomintang period, it was the execution site of thousands of suspected communists, who are remembered today with the monumental Longhua Martyrs’ Cemetery located behind the temple grounds.