 |
 Despite
the increasing modern outlook in the city of Shanghai,
one of the city's most visited tourist attractions
is a throwback to earlier times. In 1882, a monk dragged
a 6 ft white jade Buddha all the way to Shanghai from
Myanmar, with only a vague idea of how he was going
to construct a temple around the precious artifact.
His perseverance paid off though, and now thousands
of worshippers a day (sometimes over 20,000 a day
during the Spring Festival) make it a point to visit
the Jade Buddha Temple. Especially as the national
government continues to relax restrictions on religious
ceremonies throughout the country, few locations have
benefited as much as this particular temple.
Though the original temple was destroyed
in 1928, the giant Buddha, along with a smaller, recumbent
version of the statue were both rescued, and now rest
at the rebuilt temple, located less than a mile from
downtown Shanghai. Information of the Jade Buddha
Temple (also known as Yufo Si) is everywhere in the
city, so finding the temple is rarely an issue, even
for the novice traveler. Many choose to stop off at
the temple during a bike tour of the city –
considering its proximity to the city center, this
is usually one of the first places to rest and take
in a bit of the scenic city.
Further information on the Jade Buddha
Temple includes the impressive collection of rare
cultural relics that are housed inside. Though consistently
overshadowed by the giant jade buddha, whose jewel-encrusted
body is the real draw here, the other artifacts more
than hold their own with the main attraction. But
no one comes for the porcelain artworks and ancient
paintings that are also stored here. Though there
are over 7000 Dazang sutras kept in the Jade Buddha
Tower, but those are not the visual display that many
visitors hope for. They come to see the gentle, bemused
sanctity of the Buddha statues, covered with emeralds
and agates, serene and peaceful with their rounded
white faces.
Another factor that adds to the heavy
spiritual element at the Jade Buddha Temple is the
classical architecture style in which the temple was
designed, and especially unique in the midst of the
modern day flourish that is Shanghai. Though the city
stays awake deep into the Chinese night, you may want
to take note of the closing time, an ever-shifting
bit of information on the Jade Buddha Temple that
could result in a metro ride for nothing, though the
exterior is still quite impressive in the orange of
evening. |
