Jing'an Temple is an interchange station between Lines 2 and 7 of the Shanghai metro. The station is named after the neighboring Jing'an Temple. One of the city's busiest transportation hubs, there are shuttle buses that run between Jing'an Temple and Hongqiao and Pudong international airports.

A giant pillar stands in front of Jing'an Temple Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT

 

Holy temple

Coming out of the station from metro Line 2, one will not miss the traditional Chinese structure sitting in the midst of glittering skyscrapers and shopping centers. Located at 1686 Nanjing Road West, Jing'an Temple glistens when the sunshine hits its golden roof.

The temple was first built in 247 AD during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) and was relocated to its current location from the bank of the Wusong River during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Unfortunately, the temple was burnt down during the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) in the Qing Dynasty. The ancient temple has undergone many reconstructions and renovations, most recently in 2010.

Each year there used to be a traditional fair held at Jing'an Temple when local residents sold handmade crafts as well as homegrown vegetables and fruits. The event fell on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, to celebrate Sakyamuni's birthday. Nowadays, local residents still visit the temple that day to worship the Buddha. The temple opens daily from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm and the entrance ticket costs 30 yuan ($4.90).

The temple is composed of two major halls, the Hall of the Heavenly King and the Mahavira Hall sitting in the north, with two rows of wing-rooms at the east and west sides. The Mahavira Hall houses a statue of the Sakyamuni, which is made of 15 tons of pure silver. The charming and peaceful expression of Buddha conveys an atmosphere of auspiciousness and tranquility.

The old Jing'an Temple used to have "Eight Sights." Unfortunately, these sights can no longer be found due to repeated reconstructions throughout history. Under the Bell Tower, a bubbling spring pool was rebuilt as a reproduction of the Bubbling Well, one of the "Eight Sights" and considered one of the finest natural springs in ancient times.

Though it is hard to imagine that the downtown area of Shanghai used to have a natural spring, the name of a nearby residential area, Yongquan Fang, or Bubbling Well Lane, bears testimony to the old well.

A bird's view of Jing'an Park

 

Jing'an Park

In fact, the road in front of Jing'an Temple, now a section of Nanjing Road West, used to be called Bubbling Well Road, and Jing'an Park, just opposite the temple, was the Bubbling Well Cemetery, which opened in 1898 and housed the tombs of foreigners.

"In the old days, it was said that a crematorium was located on the northwest corner of the intersection where Nanjing Road West meets Huashan Road. But stores had bad business there because of the bad feng shui," a staff member at the office in Jing'an Park told the Global Times. There are now few traces left in Jing'an Park that remind people it was once a cemetery.

Covering an area of 39,400 square meters, Jing'an Park is one of the smallest parks in downtown Shanghai. However, the park boasts a range of attractions, including a grotto, a waterfall, a pond with water lilies and lotuses, and most impressive of all, a fine collection of leafy plane trees that form a green corridor at its gate and offer an immediate serenity from the hustle and bustle of the city center. These plane trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, have existed since the cemetery was transformed into a park.

Bali Laguna inside Jing'an Park

 

Also in Jing'an Park is Bali Laguna, an Indonesian restaurant with an open balcony facing the lily pond serving curries, noodles and seafood dishes.

Another solid dining option in the area is Henkes in the Reel Mall adjacent to Jing'an Park. It is the latest restaurant opened by Craig Willis, executive chef at Wagas and several other culinary ventures in Shanghai. The space is divided into several sections, with a café, a large, high-ceilinged main section and a patio. The restaurant has a casual and enjoyable atmosphere with dark wood floors, a low-lit interior and fresh flowers on the tables. It serves a large selection of Mediterranean dishes and international wines.

The former residence of Cai Yuanpei

 

Cai Yuanpei's former residence

If one is in the mood for a post-meal stroll, take a 10-minute walk from Jing'an Park to Cai Yuanpei's former residence in a quiet lane on Huashan Road. The three-story British-style villa has a small garden and elegant architecture. Cai Yuanpei, a renowned Chinese educator and former president of Peking University, moved into the house in October 1937. The villa was his last residence in Shanghai before he moved to Hong Kong, where he died in 1940. Most of the objects in the living room that were left behind by Cai have been preserved in their original appearance.