Jade Buddha Temple

In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928. It was named the Jade Buddha Temple.The two precious jade Buddhist statues are not only rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade gives the Buddhas the beauty of sanctity and make them more vivid. The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by the gate and the emerald, portraying the Buddha at the moment of his meditation and enlightenment. The Recumbent Buddha is 96 centimeters long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg, this shape is called the 'lucky repose'. The sedate face shows the peaceful mood of Sakyamuni when he left this world. In the temple there is also another Recumbent Buddha which is four meters long and was brought from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989. Furthermore there are many other ancient paintings and Buddhist scriptures distributed in the different halls here.The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society.

上海玉佛寺也称玉佛禅寺，地处繁华路段，是闹市中的一片净土。此寺始建于清光绪8年（1882年），虽然只有120年历史，但却与龙华寺、静安寺同为沪上名刹。

现在的玉佛寺，分为前院和后院两大部分：前院，即玉佛禅寺原来的寺址，中轴线上依次为大照壁、天王殿、大雄宝殿、般若丈室（楼上为玉佛楼和藏经楼），为仿宋宫殿式建筑群；后院是一座多功能的觉群大楼。 寺内有文物室，藏有北魏、唐、宋、元、明、清历代珍贵文物。

玉佛寺最出名的是清末普陀山慧根法师从缅甸请回的两尊玉佛，其实慧根法师一共请回5尊大小不一的玉佛，在返回普陀山的路上把其中的两尊留在了上海。一尊在玉佛楼内，是高1.92米的释迦牟尼坐佛像，佛身上装贴的金箔和镶嵌的宝石光彩夺目，为'镇寺之宝'。在玉佛楼的天花板顶，还塑有镏金佛像500尊，进玉佛楼参观需要另付10元门票。另一尊在寺庙西侧的卧佛堂内，是长96厘米的释迦牟尼卧佛像，按照释迦牟尼80岁圆寂时的摸样打造，侧身而卧，右手支头，神态安详。卧佛的对面，近代由新加坡信徒捐赠，新增了一座长约4米的玉制卧佛。

此外，值得一看的还有在般若丈室前面和东西回廊墙壁、大雄宝殿两侧外围墙壁上，分别镶嵌的明华亭董其昌楷书《四十二章经》和行书《释迦如来成道记》墨刻、唐宋元明清名画家绘观音菩萨三十二应身宝像刻石、释迦牟尼八相成道记画像石刻、唐贯休绘十六罗汉像石刻。

玉佛寺香火旺盛，每逢初一、十五香客不断。最出名的是大年初一烧头香，有的香客大年三十晚上就在寺庙门口等候，盼望烧到头香，许下的愿望能更灵验地实现。

Contact

• Click for Phone Number 021-62663668