Zhenru Temple

Let's talk about Zhenru Temple in Shanghai and how incredible the place is. This hidden gem stole my heart with its serene atmosphere and stunning architecture… so far is my favorite temple in the city. A must-visit for anyone seeking a tranquil escape in the bustling city, you find a pagoda right in the end of the temple, surrounded by gardens and a hallway along the river next to it with koi fish you can feed. You can also participate in feeding the pigeons living permanently in there, is also a popular thing to do while in the temple and food is being sold there as well. #Shanghai #ZhenruTemple #shanghaitrip

💡Pick a day with good weather, go out and let the sunshine melt away the chill of Shanghai; The atmosphere of the entire temple is very good, the chanting upon entering brings great peace to the heart, every angle is picture-perfect, there's also a vending machine for feeding many pigeons, the statues and carvings in the temple are exquisite, and there is a more than 700-year-old ancient ginkgo tree, which is absolutely beautiful in autumn, I'll go back in September or October to add more! 📍Address: Zhenru Temple - 399 Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town, Putuo District, Shanghai ⏰Opening Hours: 6:00-18:00 🎫Ticket: 10 yuan 🚗Transport: Metro lines 11, 14 Zhenru Station, then walk 500 meters Self-driving: Parking is available in nearby residential areas or along the roadside

💢 Traditional Chinese architecture is mostly wooden structures, which are not easy to preserve. So where is the oldest house in Shanghai currently located? The answer is: the Mahavira Hall of Zhenru Temple. 🌟 Temple Highlights 🔶 The Mahavira Hall of Zhenru Temple is the main building of the temple, built in the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty's Zhiyuan era (1320), by the monk Miaoxin. It is the only well-preserved Yuan Dynasty Buddhist hall in the Shanghai area. ✅ The inscription on the bottom of the main beam of the hall reads 'Constructed on the twenty-first day of the fourth month of the seventh year of the Zhiyuan era of the Great Yuan, on the day of Gengshen and the hour of Xun,' which accurately records the time of construction. ✅ The hall has 16 wooden columns, ten of which are cypress and six are fir. It is said that the foundation of each column is made of layers of loess and iron slag, with a width of 1.8 meters, a length of 3 meters, and a depth of 1.8 to 2 meters. 💢 There are very few surviving Yuan Dynasty buildings in the Jiangnan region, apart from Zhenru Temple, there are only three other places: the Sanqing Hall in Suzhou, the Xuanyuan Palace in Wuxian County, and the Tianning Temple in Jinhua. ✅ The Mahavira Hall was not very large when it was first built, but due to the thriving incense offerings, a market appeared around the temple, and many side halls and Buddhist pavilions were expanded around the Mahavira Hall, gradually forming a large temple complex. During the Taiping Rebellion in the tenth year of the Xianfeng era (1860), most of the buildings were destroyed except for the Mahavira Hall. Subsequent dynasties have repaired it many times. ✅ In 1991, it was restored again, forming the current temple complex. 🔶 In 1999, the Zhenru Pagoda was built to the north, becoming a landmark of the Zhenru area. ✅ The pagoda is fifty-three meters high, with nine floors, plus an underground palace and a mezzanine on the first floor, totaling eleven floors. The underground palace enshrines the true relics of Sakyamuni. ✅ Around the pagoda, there is a circle of prayer wheels, which spin lightly and spectacularly when touched. 🌲 Inside the temple, there is an ancient ginkgo tree, said to have been planted during the Yuan Dynasty, and is over 700 years old. Due to a lightning strike, the tree is hollow, with dark bark, and its old branches twist and turn, nestled among the Buddhist temples. ✨✨ Walking into Zhenru Temple, with its green tiles, gray bricks, white walls, and wooden structures in the style of ancient architecture, the color scheme is simple, without the splendid halls and dazzling painted beams and columns, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace of mind. 📝 Note tips: ❗️Currently, the Buddhist halls on the east and west sides of the temple are under protective repair, and the central hall is open to the public, and the temple is open as usual. 📍 Detailed address: No. 399 Lanxi Road, Putuo District 🚉 Transportation: 🚇 Subway lines 11/14 Zhenru Station, exit 7, 10 minutes walk. 🎫 Ticket: 10 yuan per person 🕐 Opening hours: 6:00—16:00 (ticket sales stop at 16:00), the temple opens half an hour earlier during the incense period.

When it comes to famous temples in Shanghai, Zhenru Temple is somewhat understated. Located in Putuo District of Shanghai, the temple covers an impressive area of 1,370 square meters. Originally named 'Wanshou Temple' and commonly referred to as 'Da Miao,' it is a national heritage conservation site. Zhenru Temple is the earliest built and most influential in the Shanghai area. During the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the monk Yong'an founded the Zhenru Academy in the official quarters. In the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yuanzhen period, the monk Miaoxin relocated it to the northeast side of the intersection of Taopu and Liyuanbang, its current location, and renamed it Zhenru Temple. The name of the temple is derived from the Buddhist scripture 'Cheng Weishi Lun,' which explains: 'Zhen means truth, revealing no falsehood; Ru signifies constancy, indicating no change. This truth is constant in all aspects, always true to its nature, hence the name Zhenru.' ✅ Must Experience: The most characteristic Yuan Dynasty structure in the Jiangnan region Tang Dynasty sixteen arhats rubbings 800-year-old ginkgo tree Jade statue of Sakyamuni A 5-meter tall white marble statue of the four-faced Guanyin A joyful pigeon paradise The Zhenru Mutton Restaurant that you can't miss just a step away 🗓 Itinerary: 1⃣️ Entering from the mountain gate on Lanxi Road leads to a long and narrow plaza, where incense offerings are concentrated. Open flames are not allowed inside the temple. 2⃣️ Continuing forward, you will sequentially pass the Bell Tower (Ksitigarbha Hall), the Heavenly King Hall, and the Drum Tower (Jialan Hall), and then officially enter from the Heavenly King Hall. The east side of the Bell Tower has a vegetarian dining hall available from 11:00 to 11:30. 3⃣️ Exiting the Heavenly King Hall, there are two ginkgo trees on the north side, with the ancient one on the left being over 800 years old. Besides the ginkgo trees, there are also large areas of potted green plants, with the Puxian Hall and Sakyamuni Hall to the west, and the Manjusri Hall and Medicine Buddha Hall to the east. 4⃣️ The second is the Mahavira Hall, a brick-and-wood structure characteristic of the Yuan Dynasty in the Jiangnan region, with 'Dharma Realm Zhenru' hanging high on the hall door. The bottom of the main beam is carved with the inscription 'Jia Da Yuan Sui Ci Geng Shen Yan You Qi Nian Gui Wei Ji Xia Yue Yi Yi Er Shi Yi Ri Xun Shi Ding Jian,' which accurately records the year of construction, the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yuanzhen period (1320), a nationally protected cultural relic. The central statue of Sakyamuni seated is carved from Burmese jade. The walls of the hall are adorned with rubbings of the sixteen arhats painted by Tang Dynasty's Guanxiu. 5⃣️ The third is the Circular Hall. In the center is a 1.2-meter-high circular bluestone lotus pedestal, with a vajra as the pillar, accompanied by deep relief carvings of the eight celestial dragons. Atop the lotus pedestal is a 5.2-meter-tall, approximately 35-ton white marble statue of the four-faced Guanyin. The crown is sculpted with the Five Dhyani Buddhas, and the center of the chessboard-patterned ceiling has a caisson with a thousand-armed and thousand-eyed figure. Around the caisson, thirty-two wooden carved images serve as hanging ornaments, forming a canopy. The walls of the hall are inlaid with stone carvings of twenty-eight followers of Guanyin; above is Zhao Puchu's inscription of 'The Universal Gate Chapter of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.' 6⃣️ After the Guanyin Hall is the Zhenru Pagoda. The central open space, besides a pond for releasing creatures, also has a pigeon house, where auspicious pigeons are released by devotees. This area is a joyful paradise for pigeons, where the atmosphere shifts from solemn and respectful to harmonious and joyful. Pigeon food is available for self-service purchase. 7⃣️ The Zhenru Buddha Pagoda stands 53 meters tall and is the first Buddhist pagoda built in Shanghai in nearly a hundred years. The pagoda has nine floors, plus the first floor with a double-eave hidden mezzanine and an underground palace, totaling eleven floors. The underground palace enshrines the true relics of Sakyamuni. The base of the pagoda is inlaid with bluestone reliefs of the eight great bodhisattvas, surrounded by a five-meter-wide corridor for devotees to admire, worship, and circumambulate. The bottom floor of the pagoda houses statues of Maitreya Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Medicine Buddha in the four cardinal directions. From the third floor to the top, the walls are adorned with wood carvings of the fifty-three visits of Sudhana, and the side walls house a total of three thousand statues of Sakyamuni Buddha. Around the base of the pagoda are copper prayer wheels. 8⃣️ The last two floors house the abbot's quarters and the scripture repository, which are not open to the public. The corridor near the Taopu River on the west side has many famous inscriptions, offering a place for riverside relaxation. 🚉 Transportation Tips: Take Metro Line 14 to Zhenru Station and exit from Gate 7, then walk about 500 meters 💰 Average Spending: Entrance and incense offering fee: 10 yuan

Life moves too quickly, with heavy work pressure, so on the first and fifteenth day, I like to eat vegetarian food to calm my mind. I recently discovered this place, which isn't crowded on my first visit. Built in 1999, it's very beautiful, with a bit of Tang Dynasty architectural style. When I went there, I happened to encounter the monks reciting sutras, and the weather was also very good, suitable for worship. 🍃Environment Inside, it's roughly divided into three areas, with a nine-story pagoda at the very back, pigeons to feed below, and large halls in the middle and on both sides. 🍚Vegetarian You can go for a vegetarian meal on weekdays, from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

Shanghai Buddhist Holy Land | Zhenru Temple This is the most secluded and peaceful Zhenru Temple I have seen in Shanghai! It has a history of hundreds of years and was established during the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty! Special recommendations: Come to Zhenru Temple to feel the peaceful atmosphere √ Along the white walls, green tiles, and wooden pavilions, every step is a view! It was built during the Yuan Dynasty, with the main hall being three bays wide and deep, and has been repaired repeatedly. The main structural components, including the horizontal beams, columns, square brackets, and arches, are said to be the original materials from the Yuan Dynasty. The blue lotus auspicious clouds, various patterns on the blue stone road, have a unique style without losing solemnity. The century-old ginkgo in the center of the temple is a highlight, with yellow ribbons tied to the tree for making wishes. 2. Turning prayer wheels, Zhenru Pagoda, pigeons, calligraphy corridor The Zhenru Pagoda is surrounded by one hundred and eight sutra scrolls, made of metal, with Bagua and Sanskrit carvings. The first floor is open, with Buddha figures on all sides guiding with different hand gestures. Turning the prayer wheels around the pagoda, listening to the bell sounds, and hearing the chanting from afar, one can feel the peace of devout worship. √ To the left of the Zhenru Pagoda, there is a large meadow with hundreds of pigeons leisurely roaming, where you can get up close to them, take photos, and daydream. Watching the adorable creatures with clean, curious eyes, they even pose for pictures, making one forget the dust and toil of life. Tip: The free-range pigeons are fed by monks, and if you wish to feed the pigeons, you can buy corn in advance and give it to the monks. √ Out of the meadow, into the hundred-meter riverside corridor The riverside corridor, with stone carvings full of text. The roof is decorated with ink landscape calligraphy and paintings. The summer breeze is cool, greeted by the fragrance of lotus, accompanied by koi in the stream. After praying, it's the most serene place to go! Temple admission: 10 yuan Business hours: 6:00-16:00 Detailed address: No. 399, Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town, Putuo District, Shanghai Transportation strategy: Subway, bus, self-driving Subway line: Metro Line 10 → Metro Line 11, the whole journey is about 12.5 kilometers. Zhenru Temple subway station (Line 2), walk 810 meters, if you don't want to walk, there are shared bicycles at the subway station. Bus lines: 01, 62, 63, 105, 106, 129, 136, 223, 516, 550, 551, 706, 708, 717, 724, 740, 742, 743, 754, 766, 768, 807, 838, 852, 858, 860, 866, Tourist Line 6, Airport Line 6, Bei'an Line.

I really enjoy the tranquility of Zhenru Temple and often come here to stroll and visit. With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, friends who come to the Magic City can, while experiencing the glittering lights of the Bund, the hustle and bustle of Nanjing Road, and the lively excitement of Disney, also come here to see and experience a moment of peace in the noisy metropolis. ⛳️ The name Zhenru Temple is derived from the Buddhist scripture 'Cheng Weishi Lun', which explains: 'Zhen, meaning truth, reveals non-illusion; Ru, meaning constancy, signifies unchanging. It is said that this true suchness, in all aspects, is always constant in its nature, hence the name Zhenru.' 📍Detailed address: No. 399, Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town, Putuo District, Shanghai

Zhenru Temple is considered a very niche attraction in Shanghai. Compared to the splendor of Jing'an Temple and the bustling incense of Longhua Temple, Zhenru Temple is like a wise man who keeps a low profile, deep and introverted. The architecture of Zhenru Temple is very distinctive, with a strong Tang Dynasty style. Apart from the main halls at the entrance, the most eye-catching is its Zhenru Pagoda, which has nine floors on the outside, plus a mezzanine on the first floor and an underground palace, totaling eleven floors. The outside of the Zhenru Pagoda is a circle of metal prayer wheels, with Sanskrit six-word mottos on them, which is very shocking. In front of the tower is a pigeon loft, there are many pigeons here, you can have close contact with the pigeons, you can also buy pigeon food to feed, and the photos are very beautiful! Many people come here just to see the pigeons! Name: Zhenru Temple Address: 399 Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town Street, Putuo District, Shanghai Time: 8:00-16:00 Ticket: 10 yuan Incense: 30 yuan for three sticks, multiple styles to choose from, same price. Precautions: 1 Although the weather is hot, girls try not to wear shorts or skirts into the temple. 2 Although the temple is very exquisite, be careful to only take pictures of the architecture. 3 Do not take pictures of Buddha statues. 4 When feeding pigeons, do not scare the pigeons, feed them in a civilized manner.

Zhenru Temple, also known as Putuo Zhenru Temple, is located at No. 399 Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town Street, Putuo District, Shanghai. It covers an area of nearly 20 acres and has a building area of 1370 square meters. Originally named 'Wanshou Temple', commonly known as 'Da Miao', it is a national cultural relic protection unit. The main buildings of Zhenru Temple now include the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Great Hall of the Buddha, and the Guanyin Hall. The Great Hall of the Buddha was built in the seventh year of Yuan Yanxiu. After more than six hundred years of vicissitudes, it still maintains the architectural style of the Yuan Dynasty temple, which is of great historical value and is listed as a national cultural relic. The Guanyin statue and bas-relief in the Guanyin Hall are beautifully carved and majestic. Ticket: Incense flower ticket 10 yuan Transportation: About 10 minutes walk from Zhenru Station on Metro Line 11/14

Hidden in the urban area of Shanghai is a Zhenru Temple, the main hall of which was built during the Yuan Dynasty and is a national heritage site. The temple is not crowded, and its incense is not as strong as that of Jing'an Temple. It is quiet and simple, yet extraordinary. What's more, it has a broad-mindedness that is different from other temples, truly embodying the compassion of Buddha, being true and constant, and living up to its name, Zhenru Temple. The reason will be explained later. Inside the main hall are 16 hexagonal cypress columns, including 3 golden columns. The columns in the main space all lean slightly inward, with the golden columns leaning 16 cm inward and the eave columns leaning 8 cm inward, the same as the famous Yuan Dynasty building, the Dragon and Tiger Hall of Yongle Palace in Ruicheng, Shanxi. Among them, 10 are original from the Yuan Dynasty, and 6 of the stone column bases are from the Yuan Dynasty. The foundation is centered on the column bases, with a structure of alternating layers of iron slag and yellow earth. For indoor viewing, a one-story gable roof is built on the front and back golden columns. Although it has been renovated many times, most of the main structures such as beams, purlins, and bracket sets are still original from the Yuan Dynasty. In 1961, the roof of the main hall was leaking severely, some column bases lost balance and sank, and most of the rafters were dislocated. Emergency repairs were made in 1962. Since the original condition of the roof ridge, corner decorations, human figures, animal shapes, etc. could not be examined, the roof decoration of the stone house of Jijian Temple in Tianchi Mountain, Suzhou was adopted, and the Yuan Dynasty architectural drawings were referred to for molding. In 1986, the wooden structure inside the hall was painted with tung oil for protection. This is what it looks like now. During the renovation, it was found that at the mortise and tenon joints of the original Yuan Dynasty components, there were names of components and parts written by craftsmen with ink brushes. Some of them are the same as the names in the Song Dynasty 'Building Regulations' and commonly used names, such as columns, beams, following beams, three-frame beams, etc.; some use simplified characters or homophonic characters, such as the character for 'gold' in 'golden column' is written as 'today'; some are different, such as calling the eaves 'upper eyebrows', the forehead 'lower eyebrows', and the order beam 'horizontal base angle dan'. Therefore, Zhenru Temple carries important historical significance of ancient Chinese architecture, and many scholars including Liang Sicheng and later Japanese scholars have come to study. In 1958, the main hall was converted into a library for the Long March People's Commune. The bronze Amitabha built in the second year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty was sent to the Yangjiaqiao scrap station to be smashed and melted down. The Tathagata Buddha statue and its sandalwood rack were also pulled down and burned, so the Maitreya and Weituo seen now should be later creations. Next, let's talk about the most impressive part of Zhenru Temple. The temple raises many pigeons, with several rows of pigeon houses and a place for storing feed. Many children feed pigeons inside. This is not seen in other temples. It is also said that there is a white dog that comes and goes as it pleases. Unfortunately, I didn't see it. All beings are equal and live in harmony, which is truly embodied here. There are many Hanfu girls in the waterside corridor, and photographers taking pictures with reflectors. I guess other temples don't allow this, after all, temples are supposed to be quiet places. From many angles, Zhenru Temple doesn't look much like other temples, and it feels very photogenic. The corridor is full of calligraphy and paintings, almost like an art exhibition. The opposite corridor is hung with many calligraphy works the size of practice paper. Here, calligraphy and cultivation naturally become a part of life. Next to the corridor is a release pond, with flowers and green grass, and koi swimming, which is exceptionally beautiful. Near the mountain gate, there are two ginkgo trees, one of which is hundreds of years old. In autumn, there will be yellow leaves all over the ground. When the sky is high and the air is fresh, I will come again.

Once worried that deep emotions would impair my Buddhist practice, venturing into the mountains I feared would part me from the city's charm. How can one in this world find a way to fulfill both, not failing the Buddha nor the beloved? Zhenru, in Buddhist terminology, signifies the true suchness without self; without self, all is truly such. Mahayana Buddhism teaches to purify the mind, to be without mind, without self, teaching people to let go of the discriminating mind. Zhenru Temple was established in the late Southern Song Dynasty, and it preserves rare Yuan Dynasty wooden structures in the Jiangnan area. Inside the temple, there is a ginkgo tree dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, which has been struck by lightning. The tree is hollow inside, with another pavilion tree growing within. 🔖Zhenru Temple: No. 399 Lanxi Road, Shanghai, admission fee 10 yuan. 🌿Take Exit 7 of Metro Line 14, open from 8:00 to 16:00.

⛰【Tourist Guide】 📍Detailed address: No. 399, Lanxi Road, Zhenru Town, Putuo District, Shanghai 🚗Transportation Guide: Metro Line 11 Zhenru Station 🕙Opening hours: All year round from 6 am to 4 pm 💰Ticket price: 10 yuan 🌟Highlights: 1. In May 1959, Zhenru Temple was listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai; On November 20, 1996, the main hall of Zhenru Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. 2. The main buildings of Zhenru Temple now include the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the main hall, and the Guanyin Hall, etc. 3. Ancient Ginkgo Tree: There is an ancient ginkgo tree in the temple, which is about 700 years old. The old trunk is twisted and hidden among the Buddhist temples, which is a beautiful scene. 4. Zhenru Temple is located in Zhenru Town, the northwest corner of Shanghai city. It is an ancient temple built in the Yuan Dynasty. The white walls and black tiles of the temple are full of ancient charm. The incense here has been prosperous for hundreds of years. Compared with other famous temples in Shanghai such as Longhua Temple, Zhenru Temple is more peaceful, and the solemnity of Buddhism is even better. For those who like quietness, this is a place to pray for blessings in the hustle and bustle, and it still retains the ancient style.