Shanghai guide to Yu-Yuan-Garden,Shanghai

Shanghai guide to places to see in Shanghai

A little about Shanghai Yuyuan garden:

Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan’s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

Located in the center of Shanghai’s Old City is Yuyuan Gardens, one of the few remaining old tourist sites in Shanghai. Surrounding the gardens is Shanghai’s bazaar, a maze of small streets and alleyways where vendors sell their wares and food stuffs to the visiting tourist and locals.

In the 400 years of its existence, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan’s family. Pan Yunduan had a square pavilion constructed in the lotus pool. Later as the Pan’s declined in their fortune, the cloth tycoon Zhu Yunhui and others built a hexagonal pavilion on the site of the square pavilion in the 49th year of Qianlong Emperor (1784). Named “Pavilion in Lake Center”, it served as a venue for cloth businessmen to gather and talk. In the 5th year of Xianfeng Emperor (1855), it was converted into a tea house, which was successively named “Yeshi Tea House”, and “Wanzai Tea House. Finally restored to the name of “Pavilion in Lake Center”, it is the oldest tea house in Shanghai.
In 1760, some rich merchants bought Yuyuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden was severely damaged. The Yuyuan Garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. The garden was open to the public in September, 1961.

Shanghai Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 20,000 square meters (about five acres). However, the small size is not a representative of the attractions of the garden. The pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters all have unique characteristics. There are six main scenic areas in the garden: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. Each area features several scenic spots within its borders.

Upon entering the garden, you will encounter a rockery, which is called the Great Rockery. With a height of 14 meters (about 50 feet), it is the largest as well as the oldest rockery in the southern region of the Yangtze River. On the top of the rockery, you can get a bird’s eye view of the garden. Cuixiu Hall sits at the foot of the rockery. It is a quiet and elegant place surrounded by old trees and beautiful flowers. Visitors will find curio shops in the Cuixiu Hall.

Sansui Hall was built in 1760 and was originally used to entertain guests. Later it became a place to hold ceremonies for the gentlemen and bookmen. With a height of nine meters (about 30 feet) and featuring five halls, it is the largest and most commodious structure in the garden. The name Sansui is derived from the book History of the later Han Dynasty, and means ‘propitious’ and ‘lucky’.

Wandering in the area of Yule Pavilion and Wanhua Chamber, you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features. Wanhua Chamber is a delicately chased building surrounded by derious cloisters. Spring bamboos grow beside the cloisters. In front of Wanhua Chamber, there are two old trees. One is a maidenhair tree which is 21 meters tall (about 70 feet).It is said that the tree was planted by the host of the garden 400 years ago.
The Dianchun Hall area is located east of Wanhua Chamber, and includes Hexu Hall, Relic Hall, Ancient Well Pavilion, and the Acting-and-Sing Stage. Dianchun Hall was once the headquarters of Xiaodao Hui, a revolted group who fought against the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) during 1853-1855. The coins made by Xiaodao Hui and the bulletins they proclaimed are currently displayed in the hall.

The true treasure of Yuyuan Garden is the Exquisite Jade Rock. Located across from Yuhua Hall, it is one of the three famous rocks in the southern region of the Yangtze River. (The other two are Duanyun Feng in Suzhou and Zhouyun Feng in Hangzhou.) The rock is 3.3 meters (about 10.8 feet) in height and has 72 Holes.

What is interesting about this rock is that if you burn a joss stick just below the rock, the smoke will magically float out from all of the holes. Similarly, when you pour water into the rock from top, the water will flow out from each hole creating a spectacular sight to see. Pan Yunduan was very fond of the Exquisite Jade Rock, and he built Yuhua Hall facing the rock so it was convenient to sit in the hall and admire it. The furnishings in the hall were made of top grade rosewood of the Ming Dynasty, appearing both natural and graceful.

The Inner Garden was a separate garden built in 1709, but is now a part of Yuyuan Garden in the south. The Inner Garden is compact and exquisite, and the rocks, pavilions, ornamental ponds and flower walls offer some of the most attractive sceneries in Yuyuan Garden.

Today, Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 5 acresand is divided into six general areas laid out in the Suzhou style:
• Grand Rockery – rockery made of huangshi stone (12 m high), featuring peaks, cliffs, winding caves and gorges. This scenery was possibly created by Zhang Nanyang in the Ming Dynasty This area also contains the Sansui (Three Corn Ears) Hall.
• Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) – built in 1820, the first year of the Emperor Daoguang’s reign. From September 1853 to February 1855, it served as the base of the Small swords Society (Xiaodao Hui).
• Inner Garden – rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers, first laid out in 1709 and more recently recreated in 1956 by combining its east and west gardens.
• Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
• Lotus Pool – with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
• Ten Thousand-Flower Tower (Wanhua)
Garden areas are separated by “dragon walls” with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon’s head.

Admission Fee: CNY 40 (Apr.1-Jun. 30; Sep.1-Nov.30)
CNY 30 (Jul. 1-Aug.31; Dec.1-the next Mar.31) Opening Hours: 8:30-17:30 (tickets unavailable after 17:00) Bus Route: Take bus 11, 26, 64, 730, 736, 801, 929, 932, 945, 969 or Fangchuan Line, and get off at Xinbeimen (Renmin Road Lishui Road) Station.
Take City Sightseeing Bus and get off at Yuyuan Garden. By Subway: Take Subway Line 10and get off at Yuyuan Station. Leave from Exit 1.

Being the third tallest building of the world and the tallest building in China, Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong. Jin Mao Tower can be conveniently accessed from either Puxi (the area west of the Hungpu River) by taking the tunnel (travel time is about two minutes) or the Hongqiao and Pudong International Airports
(travel time is about 30 minutes) by car.

The 88-stories Jin Mao Tower was completed in 1999. It is 420.5 meters (almost 1380 feet) tall and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres). The architect, Adrian D. Smith, of this skyscraper ingeniously combined the elements of traditional Chinese culture with the newest architectural styles of the time, which makes Jin Mao Tower one of the best-constructed buildings in China.

This building includes modern
offices, a deluxe 5-star hotel – the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, exhibition halls, banquet halls, an observation deck, and entertainment facilities which is situated in the following levels: the 1st and 2nd floors form an imposing and bright lobby of the business area; the 3rd to the 50th floors are occupied by office spaces; the 51st and 52nd floors are the mechanical and electrical facilities center, which are restricted for the tower’s working staff; the 53rd to 87th floors are reserved for the deluxe Grand Hyatt Hotel of which, the 86th floor houses a club exclusive for the hotel guests and the 87th floor lodges
the hotel restaurant; and, the 88th floor-the highest floor, is reserved for the tower’s observation deck, which can hold 1000 people at any one time.

The tower has the best elevators available. Two direct elevators operate at the speed of 9.1 meters (nearly 30 feet) per second that can send visitors from the ground floor to the 88th floor for only 45 seconds. There are also five to six elevators every 10 floors, which reduce waiting-time to 35 seconds even during rush hours.

The tower has an annex building 6-stories high which houses the exhibition halls, conference rooms, multi-function halls, grand banquet halls and a recreational center.

The basement of the tower is a parking area 3 stories deep, which can hold 800 cars and 2000 bicycles. The parking area is equipped with 360-degree surveillance cameras as a security feature of the building.

Brief Introduction To Jin Mao
Tower

Jin Mao
Tower is 420.5m high, with altogether 88 stories and total construction area of 290,000 square meters. It is a perfect combination between the Chinese Traditional Architecture Style and the advanced technologies of the world with
the frame bonderized, which almost eliminates light pollution.In the tower, the new mode of self-rescue is adopted in the fire-fighting and life guarantee system instead of the traditional mode of rescue by others. The best vertical
transportation system includes the special lift of the tower , which only takes 35min to reach the office floor and the in-the-air abutment function, etc. The intelligent system of the tower controls all the function and areas, with the
information highway leading to each office table and room. Because of its advanced and leading technologies, the tower is a landmark in the history of the world architecture.

During the trial operation of Jin Mao tower, the leaders from the CCP and the central government have come to
inspect and instruct our work. They are Mr. Jiang Ze Min, the president of CCP, Mr.Li Peng, the chairman of the people’s congress, Mr. Li Rui Huan, the chairman of the people’ political consultative committee, Mr. Li Lan Qing, Mr. Qian Qi Chen and Mr. Wu Bang Guo, the vice prime ministers of the state council and Madam Wu Yi, the state councilor, etc. Especially President Jiang, Vice prime minister Li and State councilor Wu Yi are very concerned about the operation and management of Jin Mao Tower by holding ardent expectation for our work, which is a great impetus and encouragement for us.

After being illuminated by neon lights, are colorful and attractive, which make you feel as if you were in a time-space tunnel. The Observation Deck on 88F has a construction space area of 1,520 square meters. It is the highest and biggest Observation Deck of China, breaking the Guineas Record of the Shanghai Great World. Adjacent to the tower is a skirt building of auxiliary facilities, shopping area and entertainment site for business office. Jin Mao Tower represents the top level of architectural science & technology.The tower has the most advanced glass screen wall

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Phone:
58791888
Open Time: 8:00-21:00
Traffic: Public buses 81,82,870,871, 872, Tunnel lines 3, 4, 5 and 6

Office Hours: 8:30-18:00 ( GMT+0800 ) Monday -
Friday

Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower was completed on Oct. 1, 1994. It is 468 m high, being the highest in Asia and the third highest in the world, only next the TV towers in Toronto in Canada and Moscow in Russia. It stands opposite to the bund on the west bank.. The architectural modeling of the tower is unique, expressing the flavor of oriental culture. The structure of the tower consists of 11 spheres, different in sizes and arranged at different levels, hanging from the sky down to the green lawns. It expresses the artistic concept of “pearls, big and small, dropping on a jade plate”. The
body of the tower is formed of two huge glittering spheres and one small delicate sphere; the sightseeing level in the upper sphere is 45 m in circumference, 263 m high, offering a bird’s-eye view of the city. In the upper
sphere at the 267-m level, there is a revolving restaurant, with one revolution every hour, a disco ball, a piano accompanied bar and at the 271-m level there are 20 KTV private rooms. The space cabin is at a level of 350 m, containing a sightseeing terrace, a meeting hall and a coffee room. Hotel in the Air is in the five smaller sphere with 20 guest rooms. The lower sphere contains a space city. There is a science fiction city inside the tower pedestal. The Oriental
Pearl TV Tower combines sightseeing, catering, shopping, recreation, accommodation, broadcasting and TV transmission into one body. It has become a symbolic architecture and a favorable spot for tourists in Shanghai.

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Location: 190. North Huangpo road
Bus Routes: Bus17, 20, 23, 37, 46, 48, 49, 71, 108, 109, 112, 123, 505, 506,
Open Hours: 8：30am－16：00pm
Admission Fee: RMB: 5
Evaluation
Shanghai Grand Theater looks like a glittering crystal palace for it combined
artistic design with new technology, new craft and new material.
Phone: +86 0 21 6372 8702 / +86 0 21 6372 8701
Fax: +86 0 21 6327 6675http://www.shgtheatre.com/
Brief Introduction:

Shanghai Grand Theater
covers an area of 11,528 square meters. Total construction space is 62,803 square meters. This modern and grandeur theater has 10 floors with a height of 40 meters.

On the northwest side of the busy People’s Square, this architecturally striking and modern theater hosts major international concerts and performances. It has played host to the Russian Kirov Ballet and the British Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Visitors can buy a ticket to tour the building, however, they would do better to purchase a ticket for a performance
and have a look around for free.

Shanghai Grand Theater is located at 190, Huangpi Road (North) on the west of the People’s Square. Designed by well-known French architects, it is in concise and graceful geometrical shape as the crown-like white arc-shaped roof bending upwards towards the sky. On the top of the theater are outdoor theaters and a mid-air garden, which are in the shape of a
treasure bowl, symbolizing the broad-mindedness of Shanghai in attracting the cultural art of the world. The Grand Theater has a total floor space of 70 thousand square meters, inside which are three theaters. The lyric theater, which has 1,800
seats, is for the performance of ballets, musicals and symphonies. It consists of a main state of 728 square meters, a rear stage of 360 square meters and a left and right wings of 257 square meters respectively, all of which can be
moved, lifted, sloped and rotated. In addition, the Grand Theater is also equipped with orchestra pits that can be raised and electric setting booms. All these have made the lyric theater one of the biggest and most advanced stages
in Asia and even the whole world. The drama theater, which has 600 seats, is for the performance of chamber music, and the
studio theater, which has 200 seats, is for the performance of operas and song-and-dance dramas. Moreover, Shanghai Grand Theater also has 12 rehearsal halls of different sizes, gymnasiums, scene-setting rooms and make-up rooms of
different kinds, banquet halls, cultural exhibition halls, and underground garages.

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Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
(Shànghai Haiyáng Shuizú Guan)

Hours Daily 9am-6pm (last ticket sold
5:30pm); July-Aug 9am-9pm (last ticket 8:30pm)

Address Yínchéng Bei Lù 158

Location Pudong (east of Oriental Pearl TV
Tower)

Transportation Metro: Lùjiazui

Phone 021/5877-9988

Web site www.aquarium.sh.cn

Prices Admission ¥110 ($13) adults, ¥65
($7.80) seniors over 70, ¥70 ($8.40) children under 1.4m (55 in.), free for
children under .8m (32 in.)

Shanghai‘s newest, biggest, and best
aquarium, and Asia‘s largest, opened in 2002
in Pudong, next to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Its state-of-the-art facilities
boasts 28 exhibit areas for over 10,000 sea creatures from all continents:
sharks, jellyfish, turtles, lionfish, sea otters, Yangzi sturgeon, and more.
The centerpiece is the massive, sparkling $6.6-million glass-surround
observation tunnel. Adventurous visitors can make special arrangements to dive
in the shark tank, though it could well cost you an arm and a leg.

Note: This information was accurate
when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm
all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning
your trip.

This
world-class aquarium next to the Oriental Pearl tower on the Pudong in Shanghai boasts 28 huge tanks displaying sea life from all
continents – all in all over 10,000 creatures – and is the largest in Asia.

Visitors
are greeted by a 40-metre man-made waterfall before continuing their journey to
the second floor, where they can feast their eyes on 21 display tanks,
including one with penguins. The exhibitions are divided into five zones,
including species from Australia,
Africa and the Antarctic.

The Mystery of the Deep section, to many the highlight of the museum, includes
the longest underwater viewing tunnel in the world, with up to 270 degrees of
unobstructed viewing.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium,
one of the largest aquariums in Asia, opened Tuesday, adding another tourist
attraction to China‘s
financial center.

The aquarium, which costs 55 million U.S.dollars, is also Shanghai‘s largest
tourism and culture joint venture. It’s total floor space is over 20,000 square
meters.

The aquarium aims to give visitors the opportunity to become
familiar with some of the world’s aquatic animals which can be found in 28
exhibition zones containing over 300 species of rare aquatic animals.

An official in charge of the aquarium says that the aquarium
also has the 155-meter submarine tunnel to enable visitors see the aquatic
animals at close range.

The aquarium is a joint venture funded by China Poly Group and
two Singaporian firms.

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Jardine Matheson &
Company bought its first land here in 1848 and the river front soon became
vital to the interests of the entire foreign settlement. In the latter 19th
early 20th century the Bund became the financial and political center of the
international community and (indeed of much of China).  It was China‘s Wall Street, as Shanghai‘s
financial market became the third largest in the world (behind London
and New York). 
Nearby were located a number of important consulates, including the British,
American, Russian and Japanese.

Shanghai’s
cosmopolitan atmosphere today has its roots in a long history as a center for
trade dating to 960 AD As a result of the Opium Wars in the 1840′s, the British
imposed the Treaty of Nanjing on China thus forcing China to open Shanghai up
to westerners. Foreign interests quickly consumed most of what is now central Shanghai. It was in Shanghai that the
Communist party was founded in 1921 and, in 1960; it was here that the Cultural
Revolution began and its headquarters were established. During the Cultural
Revolution the Red Guard began destroying anything that was not defined by the
Communist Party as Socialist Realism, including anything foreign, Buddhist, or
just old, like many of the Colonial buildings. Many of these things survived
the worst of China‘s growth
and learning experiences, and they are there in Shanghai for us to enjoy today. The Bund is
one of the remaining vestiges of Shanghai‘s
colonial period.

The twenty-four major
structures, of uneven height along approximately 1.5 kilometers of Zhongshan Lu
and the Huangpu River, have changed little externally
since the 1930s.  All were constructed in western-inspired styles
–classical, Gothic, renaissance, eclectic and modern–a reported seventeen
styles of architecture.  The Bund has been called a ‘museum of
international architecture,’ and indeed it was and still is.  But it
was also much more.   Here were located the banks, hotels, exclusive
clubs, press organizations and headquarters of international concerns.

After the establishment
of the People’s Republic of China
in 1949 the old tenants were gone.  They had already been impacted by the
wartime crises. Many of the structures were subdivided into government
offices, department stores or storage areas, furnishings were sold off or
destroyed, and architectural features covered.  The Bund, one might say,
was moribund.

Much of this now is
changing with the revitalization of Shanghai,
strongly encouraged by a visit of Deng Xiaoping in 1992.  The next year
the plans for the Bund were finalized and the renewal of Shanghai began in earnest. Although many of
the state-protected historic buildings of the Bund remain vacant, or perhaps
underutilized as government offices as of this writing (April, 2002),
there are strong indications that this might change–even though the old
tenants have outgrown their old quarters and will not return since many are
now in more spacious and comfortable quarters on the east side of the river in
Pudong.  But their old buildings are newly appreciated, with even brass
plates outlining their previous use, and efforts are being made to bring
elements of the international community back to where it started in the Bund,
as well as on the Pudong side.

The area does have a new
vitality.  Zhongshan Dong Lu has been widened to ten lanes to accommodate
the increased Shanghai
motor traffic, and the promenade along the banks of the Huangpu has also been
elevated and enhanced as a place to view the ever-changing skyline of
Pudong across the water. It actually is part of a new dike to protect the
city.   One only need look at a few images of this area taken in 1980
that are on this site to gain an appreciation of this new vitality.  
A decade ago there was little in Pudong besides warehouses, shipping facilities
and small shops.  Now it is the most extensive construction site in the
world.  Both sides of the Huangpu
River reflect important aspects of Shanghai‘s heritage–its
past, present and future.

Zhongshan Dong Lu Road, or as us Westerners
call it, the Bund, parallels the western bank of the Juangpu Jiang
River. It was here that
the European, American and Japanese built their banks, trading houses,
consulates and hotels. Renovated by the Chinese as a tourist attraction and
brightly lit at night it is a spectacular sight when viewed from the promenade
across the Bund and adjacent to the river.

Seeing the
Bund in daylight was one thing, but we’d seen pictures of it taken at night
when the all of the buildings are flood lit. While our tour did not include a
visit to the Bund at night,

Directly
across the Juangpu
Jiang River
lies the Pudong Xinqu, or new area. It is the site of a 40 billion US$ development
project to include state-of-the-art container port, an international airport,
high-rises and skyscrapers. It is well on its way to making Shanghai a world renowned port and industrial
giant.

Views across
the Juangpu Jiang River
are impressive with the high-rises and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

The Bund and its Environment

This site shows a portion
of the historic center of the foreign presence in Shanghai and its transformation in recent
times.  Pudong, on the east side of the Huangpu River
is one of the world’s busiest construction zones.  The transformation may
be dramatically seen in the juxtaposition of two photographs that introduce
this series.  Additional architecture of the new Pudong may soon be viewed
on another part of this site.

Huangpu River,
the most important shipping artery of Shanghai,
wriggles like an undulating muddy dragon from the mouth of the Yangtze River in
Wusong to the East China Sea. The yellow and
ice-free Huangpu River is 114 kilometers (71 miles) long,
400 meters wide and has an average depth of nine meters (30 feet).

Huangpu River
joins 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of downtown Shanghai
and divides Shanghai
into two parts, east and west. Cruises are available everyday, including the
shorter cruises (navigating the main waterfront area between the Yangpu Bridge
and the Nanpu Bridge) and the complete cruises
(meandering eastward along the golden waterway, over a distance of 60
kilometers or 37 miles). Whether it is in the daytime or at night, the views
along the river are the same beautiful. The great modern skyscrapers and the
characteristic buildings in different architectural styles are the best records
of the development of the city and the Huangpu
River, the birthplace of Shanghai, is the faithful
eyewitness.

The Bund, also called the
Zhongshan Road,
is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts
from the Baidu Bridge,
which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River
and the Suzhou Creek, to the East
Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than
one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River,
the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao
Tower. Being one of the
Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place
which is worth visiting. The newly-built Flood Control Bank takes the function
of preventing the oversize flood; the square with the statue of Marshal Chen Yi
is an open air podium which gives new views of the Shanghai Plaza Culture; the
Cenotaph which stands on the man-made island is a monument of people’s heroes;
the riverside greenbelt, the Electronic Waterfall Bell, and the Great Mural
Carving are all representatives of the Bund.

The most famous and
attractive sight which is at the west side of the Bund are the 52 various
buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque,
Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. The Bund was the centre of Shanghai‘s politics,
economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and
many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there, and that’s why
we have these art-like buildings. Although they were not designed by the same
person or built in the same period, the architectural pattern is similar.

The Bund got its name from a
desolate beach outside the old Shanghai
city.  If you have never been to the
Bund, then you have never been to Shanghai.
The Bund symbolizes Shanghai and Bund is an
epitome of Shanghai‘s
history.

Tracing back, from the Opium War
broke out in 1840 to the 1930’s; many foreign businesses snatched the prime
area in Shanghai,
to establish concessions, banks, headquarters, and consul houses and so on.
Hence, Shanghai, a small seaside town one
hundred years ago, became the largest city in Asia.
It also earned the reputation of “The Oriental Wall Street”. Even
today, visitors can still feel the prosperity of the old Shanghai, when looking at those old
buildings.

The east side of the Bund is right
next to the Huangpu
River. To the west of the
Bund, there are group of 52 buildings standing in various styles, Gothic,
Baroque, Rome,
Renaissance, Classic and the combination of Eastern and Western style. Although
these buildings were completed at different time and were in different styles,
the main elements of these buildings were fairly unified and the overall
outline is well coordinated.

Walking on the Zhongshan East Road, you will experience
a kind of vigorous, forceful and solemn momentum. Some say actually that the
Bund is like “an exhibition of buildings”.

If the building zone on the Bund
were a gallery, the rest of the Bund would be a showroom. When the sun rises in
the east, the Bund is a place where people do exercises. In daytime, this
building complex, blended with the beautiful scenery of the Huangpu River
and the Pudong area, this scenic spot is tourists’ favorite. When evening
comes, city lights coats the Bund with brilliant colors, which makes the Bund
particularly beautiful. Old buildings by the river echo with the new scenic
spots the Oriental Pearl T.V. tower and the Jinmao mansion, that this
spectacular scenery often amazes many tourists.

The Dongfeng Restaurant was a
famous meeting place for British. This building was a typical old British style
classic structure; it has in total six levels. There were two watch towers on
top, interior was magnificently decorated. There was a spacious bar on the
ground floor, a 110.7-feet-long bar counter, longest of its kind in Asia at that time, which made this bar extremely popular.
You can imagine the scene that the richest businessmen gathered here for social
engagement.

The No. 12 of the Bund is also No.
12 of the Zhongshan Road East.
The former famous Huifeng Bank was located here. Constructed in 1923, this
square-shaped five-storage building, come with a round roof, in the style of
ancient Greek, and a hemisphere-shaped top. The steel-framed building was
exquisitely decorated. The building was equipped with the specially decorated
reception halls. The British builder took great pride in this marvelous
building. They rated this structure as “from east of the Suez Canal to Baling Strait
in the west, this is the most exquisite building”.

Adjacent to the Huifeng Bank
building is the Customs Building of Shanghai. It was built in 1927. The classic
building in the style of the 19th century is rare in the world. The huge clock
on the building could have been seen from all sides. The melodious sound of the
clock could be heard from several miles away. Its time synchronizes with
Beijing Time perfectly.

The two buildings at the end of Nanjing Road East
belong to the well-known Peace Hotel, built in 1906, and initially named
Huizhong Hotel. In the style of European Renaissance, it is the oldest hotel in
Shanghai. The
building looks solemn, elegant, and unique from distance. It really is an
architectural masterpiece.

The Shaxun Mansion
was built in 1928. This steeled-framed “A” shape building is in
typical Chicago Architectural style. The famous 19-meter-high pyramid on the
top of the building is made from oblique tile, which was made of purple copper.
The owner of Shaxun
Mansion used it to show
off his wealth. Various ornaments and furniture from nine different countries
were used to decorate the mansion. It became a post where adventurers from all
over the world gathered. It was also travelers’ first choice to spend their
night. Those who had stayed here said that its atmosphere and liveliness were
unforgettable.

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In the western part of Shanghai, a very modern and flourishing city, there is a venerable and famous Buddhist temple,
Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì), covering an area of 8,000 square meters . 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 burned down during the
revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in the early 20th century. In 1918, Jade Buddha Temple was rebuilt on Anyuan Road. Fortunately the jade Buddha 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 agate 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 ofthe temple. The temple now also contains a much larger reclining Jade Buddha, donated from Singapore, and visitors sometimes mistake this larger sculpture for the original, smaller piece

History

During the rule of emperor Guang Xu in theQing dynasty (1875-1908), Hui Gen, an abbot from Mount
Putuo went on a pilgrimage to Tibet via the two famous Chinese mountains Mount Wutaiand Mount Emei.

After Tibet,
he arrived in Burma. While there, Mr. Chen Jun-Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade statues of Buddha to Hui Gen, who transported two of them back to Jiang-wan, Shanghai.

Here Hui Gen had a temple built with donated funds, and died shortly thereafter. This temple was occupied during the 1911
uprising, and the statues were moved to Maigen Road.

An Abbot by the name of Ke Chen later had a new temple built on land donated by a Mr. Shen. The construction took ten
years, and lasted from 1918-1928. Ke Chen also invited Reverend Di Xian from Tian Tai mountain to come and lecture on Buddhism in a magnificent ceremony.

In 1956, a ceremony was held at the temple by the Shanghai Buddhist Association to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of
Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment. In 1966, during the cultural revolution, the monks made a living by selling handicrafts.

In 1983, Shanghai Institute of Buddhism was established at the temple under the Shanghai Buddhist Association. In 1985,
Monk Zhizhi Xuan and others made a trip to Dunhuang via Xinjiang. Shortly after their return regular scripture lectures, meditation and other features of temple life were resumed.

Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long,
the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city. Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple and at sides are the Kwan-yin Dian Hall, the Amitabha Dian Hall, the Zen Tang Hall, the Dining-Room and the Recumbent Buddha Hall.
The Sitting Buddha is in the Jade Buddha Tower and the Recumbent Buddhas are in the Recumbent Buddha Hall. More than 7,000 Dazang sutras are kept in the Jade

Buddha Tower; these are all the inestimable culture relics.

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.

The Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings contains a laughing Maitreya, a Wei-to Boddhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings, who represent favourable circumstance. The chamber is located on the southern-edge, or ‘front’ of the temple.

The Grand Hall, also called the Great Hall, this hall contains
many statues, including:

• Three Golden Buddhas. The central sculpture is of Gautama Buddha,
  the left of Amitabha and the right of Bhaisajyaguru.
• Gods of the Twenty Heavens. The Gods of the Twenty Heavens, covered
  in gold, line the eastern and western sides of the Grand Hall.
• 18 Arhats. 18 unique golden Arhats stand in two groups of nine.
• Guanyin, Shen Cai and his 53 teachers. A large golden statue of
  Guanyin stands on at northern entrance to the Great Hall, with Shen Cai at
  her side and sculptures representing the 53 teachers of his life above.

The Jade Buddha Chamber is in the northern section of the temple, on the second floor. A fee of 10 yuan is charged to ascend to it. Some additional Buddhist sculptures are also viewable in the antechamber.

The public restaurant is located on level two at the eastern edge of the temple and equipped with its
own street entrance. Open daily, it serves a range of noodle dishes for five yuan per bowl, the most popular of which is double mushroom noodles. Other dishes are served at moderate prices.

The temple also contains a private restaurant for the use of monks and temple volunteers, which is
at the western edge of the temple complex. There is a visitor services office adjacent to the southern entrance, and a Buddhist library is also on the premises.

There are monks currently living in the Temple and the Temple houses the Shanghai Buddhist Institute. Here many ancient statues, paintings, a complete set of Buddhist scriptures (printed in the Qing Dynasty), and over 7000 other rare scriptures are kept.

Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple

Address: 170 Anyuan Road

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