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Temples in Shanghai: the Buddhist temples worth visiting, and the Taoist ones too

Shanghai is better known for skyscrapers than temples, but it has Buddhist sites going back to the third century by tradition, a Yuan-dynasty hall and a cluster of Song-dynasty pagodas in its suburbs. Here are the temples worth knowing, where they are and what each is known for, with the city’s main Taoist and Confucian temples in a separate table.

By The Popular in China desk Fact-checked by Alex Liu Checked 18 sources · 4 min read

Our answer

Three big city temples, and more beyond 上海寺庙

Jing’an, the Jade Buddha Temple and Longhua are the big three; Zhenru and Songjiang reward a longer trip

1320the year Zhenru Temple’s Mahavira Hall was completed, the Yuan-dynasty hall that still stands

The short answer

The best-known temples in Shanghai are Jing’an Temple on West Nanjing Road, the Jade Buddha Temple in Putuo and Longhua Temple in Xuhui, with its 40.4 m pagoda. All three are working Buddhist temples near metro stations. For older buildings, go to Zhenru Temple’s 1320 hall or the Song-dynasty pagodas of Songjiang.

At a glance
In Chinese上海寺庙 (Shànghǎi sìmiào); a Buddhist temple is 寺 (sì), a Taoist one 观 (guàn) or 庙 (miào)
Big threeJing’an Temple, the Jade Buddha Temple and Longhua Temple
Oldest by traditionLonghua (242) and Jing’an (247), both said to date from the Three Kingdoms period
Oldest hallZhenru Temple’s Mahavira Hall, completed in 1320
Best pagodasLonghua Pagoda (40.4 m) in Xuhui; the Yuanying (46.5 m) and Square pagodas in Songjiang
Taoist landmarkThe City God Temple by Yu Garden, a City God temple since 1403

Buddhist temples in Shanghai

The main Buddhist temples and temple pagodas in Shanghai, from the city centre to the suburbs. Temples with their own guide are linked.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

TempleChineseDistrictKnown for
Jing’an Temple静安寺 Jìng’ān SìJing’anFirst built in 247; golden halls on West Nanjing Road, a 15-tonne silver Buddha and a 3.87 m jade Buddha
Jade Buddha Temple玉佛禅寺 Yùfó Chán SìPutuoFounded in 1882 for jade Buddhas brought from Burma; the seated one is 1.95 m high
Longhua Temple龙华寺 Lónghuá SìXuhuiThe plan of a Song-dynasty Chan monastery, the 40.4 m Longhua Pagoda and the New Year’s Eve bell
Zhenru Temple真如寺 Zhēnrú SìPutuoA Mahavira Hall completed in 1320, in the Yuan dynasty, and a 2.18 m jade Shakyamuni
Chenxiang Pavilion沉香阁 Chénxiāng GéHuangpuA Chan nunnery, first founded in 1600, known for its Guanyin statue
Xilin Chan Temple西林禅寺 Xīlín Chán SìSongjiangFounded in 872; its Song-dynasty Yuanying Pagoda is seven storeys and 46.5 m high
Square Pagoda of Xingshengjiao Temple兴圣教寺塔 Xīngshèngjiào Sì Tǎ, or 方塔 FāngtǎSongjiangA Northern Song pagoda of 1068–1077, the only surviving part of its temple, with 177 ancient bracket sets
Donglin Temple东林寺 Dōnglín SìJinshanFounded in 1308; a gilded thousand-armed Guanyin about 27 m tall in the main hall

Taoist and Confucian temples in Shanghai

Not Buddhist, but often what visitors mean by ‘temples in Shanghai’. Our temples guide explains how to tell a Buddhist temple from a Taoist one.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

TempleChineseDistrictKnown for
City God Temple (Taoist)上海城隍庙 Shànghǎi Chénghuáng MiàoOld City, next to Yu GardenA City God temple since 1403, honouring Huo Guang, Qin Yubo and Chen Huacheng; reconsecrated in 2006 after restoration
White Cloud Temple (Taoist)白云观 Báiyún GuànOld City, by the remains of the city wallA Quanzhen Taoist temple on its present site since 1882, and the seat of the Shanghai Taoist Association
Qinci Yangdian (Taoist)钦赐仰殿 Qīncì YǎngdiànPudongA Taoist temple traced by tradition to the Three Kingdoms, with a Hall of the Three Pure Ones about 18 m high
Shanghai Confucian Temple (Confucian)上海文庙 Shànghǎi WénmiàoHuangpuFirst founded in the Yuan dynasty; a Sunday book market is held there
Jiading Confucian Temple (Confucian)嘉定孔庙 Jiādìng KǒngmiàoJiadingFounded in 1219; Shanghai’s largest surviving ancient building complex, now home to the Museum of Chinese Imperial Examinations

Five temples worth the trip

Jing’an Temple is the one most visitors see first: a gold-roofed temple among the malls of West Nanjing Road, with Jing’an Temple metro station beneath it. It was first built in 247 and moved to its present site in 1216.

The Jade Buddha Temple was founded in 1882 by the monk Huigen to house jade Buddhas from Burma. Its two jade Buddhas, one seated and one reclining, are the reason to go; it is also known for its vegetarian noodles.

Longhua Temple, in Xuhui, keeps the plan of a Song-dynasty Chan monastery, with five halls on one axis. Its seven-storey, 40.4 m pagoda has a brick body dating from 977, and its bell is struck 108 times on New Year’s Eve.

Zhenru Temple, in Putuo, is quieter but has the oldest hall: its Mahavira Hall was completed in 1320, under the Yuan dynasty, and holds a jade Shakyamuni 2.18 m tall.

Songjiang, in the suburbs, has two of Shanghai’s finest old pagodas: the 46.5 m Yuanying Pagoda at Xilin Chan Temple, built in memory of the Chan master Yuanying, and the Northern Song Square Pagoda, now the centrepiece of Fangta Garden. See our guide to Chinese pagodas.[1][2][3][5][6][8][9]

How to plan a temple visit in Shanghai

  1. 1

    Start with the city-centre temples

    Jing’an Temple sits on top of Jing’an Temple station (lines 2, 7 and 14); the Jade Buddha Temple is about 500 m from Jiangning Road station on line 13; Longhua Temple is near Longhua station on lines 11 and 12.

  2. 2

    Walk the old city

    The City God Temple by Yu Garden, Chenxiang Pavilion, the White Cloud Temple and the Confucian Temple on Wenmiao Road are close together in and around Shanghai’s old city, so they make a walk.

  3. 3

    Make a day of Songjiang

    Xilin Chan Temple and the Square Pagoda in Fangta Garden are both in old Songjiang town; the Jiading Confucian Temple makes a similar half-day trip from the centre.

  4. 4

    Time it for a festival

    Longhua rings its bell 108 times on New Year’s Eve and holds its temple fair in spring. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, temples across the suburbs, such as Donglin in Jinshan, hold their own bell-striking.

  5. 5

    Buy tickets only at the temple

    Some temples, such as the Jade Buddha Temple, ask visitors to buy tickets only at their own ticket office. Follow each temple’s rules on incense and photographs.

Questions readers ask

What is the most famous temple in Shanghai?

Jing’an Temple, the gold-roofed temple on West Nanjing Road, is the best known to visitors, along with the Jade Buddha Temple and Longhua Temple. All three are working Buddhist temples near metro stations.

What is the oldest temple in Shanghai?

By tradition, Longhua Temple (242) and Jing’an Temple (247), both from the Three Kingdoms period, though neither has buildings that old. The oldest surviving temple hall is Zhenru Temple’s Mahavira Hall, completed in 1320.

Which temple in Shanghai has the jade Buddha?

The Jade Buddha Temple in Putuo district has two jade Buddhas brought from Burma, a 1.95 m seated Buddha and a reclining Buddha. Jing’an Temple and Zhenru Temple also have large jade Buddhas, 3.87 m and 2.18 m tall.

Are there Taoist temples in Shanghai?

Yes. The best known is the City God Temple by Yu Garden. The White Cloud Temple in the old city is the seat of the Shanghai Taoist Association, and Qinci Yangdian is in Pudong.

Where can I hear temple bells at New Year in Shanghai?

Longhua Temple strikes its great bell 108 times on the night of 31 December. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, several suburban temples, including Donglin Temple in Jinshan, hold bell-striking ceremonies.

Which Shanghai temples have pagodas?

Longhua Temple has the 40.4 m Longhua Pagoda; Jing’an Temple completed a new pagoda in 2010. In Songjiang, Xilin Chan Temple has the 46.5 m Yuanying Pagoda, and the Square Pagoda survives from Xingshengjiao Temple.

Can you visit Shanghai temples in one day?

The three city-centre temples, Jing’an, the Jade Buddha Temple and Longhua, are all near metro stations, so you can see them in a day. Songjiang and Jiading are better as separate trips.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Jing’an Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  2. Wikipedia, Jade Buddha Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  3. Wikipedia, Longhua Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  4. Wikipedia, Chenxiang Pavilion · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  5. Wikipedia, Zhenru Temple (Shanghai) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  6. Wikipedia, Xilin Chan Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  7. Wikipedia, Donglin Temple (Shanghai) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  8. Wikipedia, Songjiang Square Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  9. Shanghai International Service Portal, Guardian of time: Explore Shanghai’s ancient pagodas (I) (updated 24 October 2025) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  10. Wikipedia, Shanghai City God Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  11. Daoinfo, White Cloud Temple (Xuanmiaoguan), Shanghai · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  12. Daoinfo, Hall of Respect Granted by His Majesty (Qinci Yangdian) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  13. Wikipedia, Shanghai Confucian Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  14. Shanghai International Service Portal, Jiading Confucian Temple returns with new look (26 September 2024) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  15. SmartShanghai, Nine temples of Shanghai (26 October 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  16. Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai (official site), Introduction · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  17. Wikipedia, Longhua station (Shanghai Metro) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
  18. Shanghai International Service Portal, Bell-striking activities for Chinese New Year celebrations (10 January 2025) · accessed 1 Nov 2026

Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction

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