One of the most interesting Buddhist shrines in Shanghai is the Jade Buddha Temple. It is located not far from the historical center and is very popular among tourists: annually it is visited by around 2 million people. The flow of tourists is stable and permanent, so you better go to the temple during morning hours when the number of people is minimal.

The Jade Buddha Temple was established in 1882 and is still functioning. It is built in traditional Chinese style and outstands the modern multistory houses surrounding it. Small ochre-colored pagodas, a shared inner yard, nice arches, carved cornices, numerous sculptures and red lanterns... The originality of that religious place gives it a special charm and coziness!

Judging by the name of the temple you can easily understand why it is so popular among tourists: big and exquisite statues of Buddha made of snow-white jade is a rarity even for China. There you will see two of them. Both are worth your attention.

The statue of a sitting Buddha is the main value of the temple. It is one of the world's biggest sculptures of the spiritual teacher sitting in a meditation position. In addition, it is made of a single piece of stone and decorated with gems. The height of the sitting Buddha reaches almost two meters and its weight is close to three tons.

The statue of a reclining Buddha is smaller than the first sculpture, but it is not less fabulous. This statue shows the spiritual teacher being in a state of nirvana.

What is so special about jade? First, that mineral has a huge color palette and various textures. However, the white solid color shades, which the Buddha statues of the Shanghai temple are made in, are very rare. Secondly, jade is valued for its high resistance to brittle fracture at a relatively average hardness. That means that it is possible to make exquisite items out of it and not be afraid of cracks or splits. Thirdly, from ancient times, jade has been the favorite stone of Chinese people and even became a national treasure.