Religious site · SHANGHAI
Jing'an Temple
静安寺 · Jìng'ān Sì
About
Active Buddhist temple in Shanghai's central financial district, with golden-tiled roofs incongruously beside steel-and-glass towers.
Jing'an Temple sits in what is now Shanghai's central commercial and financial district on West Nanjing Road, in a location it has occupied since the Tang dynasty (around 247 CE in some accounts, with confirmed records from the 10th century). The name means 'Tranquil Stability Temple' — a description that has needed considerable optimism at various points in the institution's history. The temple was relocated in the 13th century to its current site beside the former Suzhou Creek, rebuilt repeatedly through the Ming and Qing periods, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution when it was converted into a factory, and then comprehensively reconstructed from 2003 to 2015.
The present building is effectively new construction, using Burmese teak for the structural elements, Cambodian sandstone for decorative carvings, and bronze for the gate fittings. The main hall contains a 6-metre silver Buddha statue. The golden tile roofs sit directly above the Jing'an Temple metro station entrance, surrounded on all sides by luxury hotels, shopping malls, and glass office towers. The juxtaposition of gilded Buddhist hall and glass-curtain-wall high-rise is the defining Shanghai religious photograph — it appears on a great deal of tourism material, sometimes with the observation that the city's two dominant faiths (Buddhism and commerce) have rarely been so physically proximate.
The temple is active; morning chanting can be heard from the entrance plaza. Entry requires a ticket, which is above average for Shanghai's religious sites. Allow an hour. It pairs naturally with the nearby Shanghai Natural History Museum (a 5-minute metro ride) for a half-day in Jing'an.
How to get there
Metro Lines 2, 7 to Jing'an Temple.
When to visit
Morning. Lunar 1st and 15th have heavier worship traffic.
History and context
Founded 247 CE under the Wu Kingdom, making it one of Shanghai's oldest temples. It moved to its current site in 1216 during the Southern Song period. The current complex is a 21st-century reconstruction in early-Song style, with golden roofs that are unusual for Shanghai Buddhism — the aesthetic is closer to Tang-Song northern traditions. The underground metro station and adjoining shopping mall are part of the modern integration into the district.
What the visit is like
Allow 45 minutes to one hour. This is an active monastery — early morning brings chanting from the halls. Entry fee is modest by central Shanghai standards. The layout follows three main halls on a north–south axis. Ground level is wheelchair accessible; upper levels are not. The entrance sits directly at the Jing'an Temple metro exit on West Nanjing Road — no walk required from the platform.
Photography
The golden roofs against the Jing'an skyscraper backdrop is the signature Shanghai contrast shot — old temple tile framed by glass towers. The best angle is from the pedestrian bridge north of the temple, which puts the roofline level with the high-rises behind. Interior photography is restricted in the main halls. Drone use is banned across the district. Overcast light softens the gold and reduces roof-tile glare.
Overlooked details
The bronze bell in the drum tower weighs over 3 tonnes and is one of the largest in the city. The Mahavira Hall contains a Silver Buddha, less publicised than the main seated Buddha. An underground shopping mall sits directly beneath the temple compound — accessible from the metro concourse. Jing'an Park, immediately adjacent, is free and small; useful for a quiet sit after the temple visit.
Where to eat nearby
Jing'an is a premium shopping district and food prices reflect that. Din Tai Fung has a branch nearby for dumplings. Yang's Fried Dumplings on Wujiang Road is a cheaper, well-known sheng jian bao stop. Jing'an Kerry Centre has a mid-range food court. The Wujiang Road street-food strip — five minutes west — has the cheapest options, mostly Chinese fast food and small snack stalls.
Common misconceptions
The current buildings are 21st-century reconstruction — most visitors don't realise the temple was demolished and rebuilt, and read the site as ancient fabric. The temple is not the same as Jing'an Park; they are adjacent but separate, and the park has no religious function. The golden-roof aesthetic is Tang-Song in reference and unusual for the Shanghai region, where grey-tile roofs are more typical of local Buddhist architecture.
Other attractions in Shanghai
Itineraries featuring this site
- Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
3d · Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
- Accessible China — mobility-friendly 7 days in Beijing and Shanghai
7d · Seven days in Beijing and Shanghai planned for visitors with mobility limitations — step-free access, English-language signage, accessible transport and accommodation notes throughout.
- Vegetarian and vegan China in 7 days
7d · Hangzhou (Buddhist vegetarian temples) to Putuoshan (sacred Buddhist island) to Suzhou to Shanghai. A seven-day itinerary following the tradition of Chinese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, with reliable meat-free and vegan options at each stop.
- Regional food tour — Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese and Shanghai, 14 days
14d · Fourteen days moving through four of China's most distinctive regional cuisines — the numbing heat of Sichuan, the dry spice of Hunan, the freshness of Cantonese cooking, and the sweet-savoury balance of Shanghainese food.
Other religious sites in China
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda大雁塔
Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda, built 652 CE to house the sutras brought back by Xuanzang. 64m, seven storeys, climbable.
- Donglin Temple (East Forest Monastery)东林寺
One of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Chinese history, founded in 386 CE at the foot of Mount Lu and considered the birthplace of Pure Land Buddhism in China.
- Drepung Monastery哲蚌寺
UNESCO · Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
- Famen Temple法门寺
1,700-year-old Buddhist temple 110 km west of Xi'an. The 1987 discovery of a finger relic of the Buddha in its underground crypt was a major archaeological event.
- Ganden Monastery甘丹寺
The mother monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa atop Wangbur Mountain 47 km east of Lhasa, offering sweeping plateau views and an important kora trail.
- Gyantse Kumbum Stupa江孜白居寺
A nine-storey mandala stupa built in 1427 containing 108 chapels on multiple floors, considered one of the finest examples of Tibetan religious architecture and the most important landmark in Gyantse.
- Hanging Temple悬空寺
1,500-year-old wooden temple complex pinned to the side of a 75m cliff at Mt Heng. Engineered with horizontal posts driven into the rock face.
- Jade Buddha Temple玉佛寺
Active urban Buddhist temple in central Shanghai. Famous for two life-size jade Buddhas brought from Burma in 1882.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Jing'an Temple cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Jing'an Temple is ¥50, ¥0 for children.
- When is Jing'an Temple open?
- Jing'an Temple opening hours: 7:30am–5pm.
- How long do you need at Jing'an Temple?
- Allow around 1 hours for Jing'an Temple. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Jing'an Temple?
- Morning. Lunar 1st and 15th have heavier worship traffic.
- How do you get to Jing'an Temple?
- Metro Lines 2, 7 to Jing'an Temple.
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