The Longhua Temple (;

Shanghainese The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the city of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan langua ...

: ''Lon-ngu-zy''; alternatively Lunghwa Temple; literally ''"Dragon Flower Temple''") is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. Although most of the present day buildings date from later reconstructions, the temple preserves the architectural design of a

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

(960–1279) monastery of the Chan School. It is the largest ancient temple complex in the city of Shanghai.

History

] The temple was first built in 242 AD, during the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

(220–280). According to a legend,

Sun Quan Sun Quan (; 182 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime established by hi ...

, King of the Kingdom of Wu (222–280), had obtained Sharira relics, which are cremated remains of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

. To house these precious relics, the king ordered the construction of 13 pagodas. Longhua Pagoda (), part of the Longhua temple complex, is said to have been one of them. Like the function of the pagoda, the name of the temple also has its origin in a local legend according to which a dragon once appeared on the site. The temple was destroyed by war towards the end of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

(618–907) and rebuilt in 977 AD, under the autonomous Kingdom of

Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...

during the

Northern Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

period (960–1127). (According to another version of the story, as contained in

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

(960–1279) and

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

(1271–1368) local histories, the temple was first built by the King of

.) Later in the Song dynasty, in 1064, it was renamed "Kongxiang Temple" (), but the original name "Longhua Temple" was restored in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(1368–1644) during the reign of the

Wanli Emperor The Wanli Emperor (4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shenzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Yijun, art name Yuzhai, was the 14th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reig ...

(1573–1620). The present architectural design follows the

(960–1279) original. However, whereas the core of the present Longhua Pagoda survives from that period, most buildings in the temple proper were rebuilt during the reigns of the Tongzhi Emperor (1862–1874) and the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China ...

(1875–1908) in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

(1644–1911). A modern restoration of the entire temple complex was carried out in 1954. The temple and monastery were originally surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards. Viewing of the peach blossom in the Longhua gardens was an annual attraction for people in surrounding cities. The temple grounds have been used as a site for internment as well as for executions. Public executions were held on the site in the 20th century. In 1927, the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

(國民黨) carried out a purge of suspected communists in Shanghai. Thousands of victims of this purge were brought to the temple grounds to be executed. They are commemorated today by the Longhua Martyrs Cemetery behind the temple. During the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

, the Japanese operated their largest civilian internment camp in the area, where American,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

, as well as nationals of other allied countries were held under poor conditions. The temple's extensive gardens have since been almost entirely absorbed into the neighboring Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery and have been extensively reconstructed in a contemporary monumental style. A small traditional garden remains immediately adjacent to the temple buildings.

Architectural design and artwork

The Longhua Temple occupies an area of more than and the main axis of the compound is long. The tallest structure is the Longhua Pagoda which stands high. The layout of the temple is that of a Song dynasty monastery of the Buddhist Chan sect, known as the ''Sangharama Five-Hall Style''. Five main halls are arranged along a central north–south pointing axis. From the entrance or

Shanmen The Gate of Shanmen or Hall of the Shanmen or simply Shanmen (), is the entrance gate of a Buddhist temple. In ancient times, nearly all Buddhist temples had a single Shanmen gate leading into a large hall for the temple. Today, it is observed t ...

, the buildings are:

Maitreya Hall

The Maitreya Hall housing a statue of

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...

buddha and another in his manifestation as " Budai", or ''Cloth bag monk''.

Four Heavenly Kings Hall

The Four Heavenly Kings Hall housing statues of the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhism, Buddhist gods or Deva (Buddhism), ''devas'', each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings is a standard component of Chinese Buddhism, Ch ...

Mahavira Hall

The Mahavira Hall is the main hall, housing statues of the historical Buddha ( Shakyamuni) and two disciples. At the back of the hall is a bas-relief carving, including a depiction of

Guanyin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

, or the Bodhisattva

Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (meaning "the lord who looks down", International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), also known as Lokeśvara ("Lord of the World") and Chenrezig (in Tibetan), is a Bodhisattva#Bhūmis (stages), tenth-level bodhisattva associ ...

in his female manifestation. Around the front portion are arranged the twenty Guardians of Buddhist Law, and around the back the sixteen principal

arhat In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana (Buddhism), Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the Rebirth (Buddhism ...

s. The hall also features an ancient bell cast in 1586, during the Wanli era of the

Three Sages Hall

The Three Sages Hall () houses statues of the Amitabha buddha, and the Bodhisattvas

(male form) and Mahāsthāmaprāpta.

Abbot's Hall

The Abbot's Hall () is a place for lectures and formal meetings.

Bell tower and Drum tower

A Bell Tower and a Drum Tower are arranged off the central axis. The Bell Tower houses a copper

bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

cast in 1382, the bell is tall, has a maximum diameter of , and weighs . The bell is used in the ''Evening Bell-Striking Ceremony'' conducted on New Year's Eve. Also situated off the main axis is a shrine to Ksitigarbha (Dizang the King Bodhisattva).

Buddhist Texts Library

The Buddhist Texts Library houses various versions of

sutra ''Sutra'' ()Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a ...

s and other Buddhist works, as well as ceremonial instruments, antiques, and artifacts. Artworks in the temple include statues of the Maitreya Buddha in his

Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...

form and in his ''Cloth Bag Monk'' incarnation, statues of the Eighteen Arhats and 20 Guardians of Buddhist Law, as well as statues of the 500

Longhua Pagoda

The Longhua Pagoda is best well-known of the 16 historic pagodas that still stand within the Shanghai municipality. It has an octagonal floor layout. The size of the seven stories decreases from bottom to top. The pagoda consists of a hollow, tube-like brick core surrounded by a wooden staircase. On the outside, it is decorated with balconies, banisters, and upturned eaves. These outer decorations have been reconstructed in keeping with the original style. Although previous pagodas existed on the same site, the current brick base and body of the pagoda was built in 977 under the

kingdome (907–978), with continuous renovations of its more fragile wooden components on the exterior. Because of its age, the pagoda is fragile and is not open to the public.

Temple fair

The Longhua Temple Fair has been held since the

annually on the third day of the third month of the

Lunar Calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based on the solar year, and lunisolar calendars, whose lunar months are br ...

, when - according to local legend - the dragons visit the temple to help grant the people's wishes. It coincides with the blossoming of the peach trees in Longhua Park. Since its inception, the fair has been an annual event interrupted only by the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

and the

SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified strain of the SARS-related coronavirus. The first known cases occurred in November 2002, and the ...

outbreak.

Location

The Longhua Temple is located on the Longhua area (formerly Longhua township) of Shanghai (named after the temple). Its street address is No. 2853 Longhua Road (Longhua Lu). It is open to the public for a fee (10 RMB) which includes incense. To go there by subway you can take line 12 followed by a bit of walking or bike riding .

In popular culture

J. G. Ballard in his World War II-era autobiographical novel '' Empire of the Sun'' describes the Japanese military use of the Longhua pagoda as a flak cannon tower. In Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of the book, the pagoda is clearly visible above the prison camp.

References

*D.C. Burn, ''A Guide to Lunghwa Temple'', Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh (1926). *Eric N. Danielson, ''Discover Shanghai'', Singapore: Marshal Cavendish 2010). p. 73–81 on Longhua, and pp. 98–100 on Shanghai's 16 historic pagodas. *Eric N. Danielson, ''“How Old is Shanghai's Longhua Temple?”'' Hong Kong: Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 43, 2003 (2006). p. 15–28*''Longhua Zhen Zhi'', Shanghai (1996). *Pan Mingquan, ''Shanghai Fo Si, Dao Guan'', Shanghai: Shanghai Ci Shu Chubanshe(2003). *Zhang Qinghua and Zhu Baikui, ''Longhua'', Yangzhou: Guanglin Shu She (2003).

Bibliography

External links

How Old is Shanghai's Longhua Temple?Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branchshort article in "The Economist" (site history)Longhua Monastery, Architectura Sinica Site Archive
{{Shanghai 10th-century Buddhist temples 977 Architectural history Buddhist temples in Shanghai Architecture in China Landmarks in Shanghai Song dynasty Xuhui District Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shanghai Linji school temples