# Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai > A working Buddhist monastery on Anyuan Road, about 4 km northwest of the Bund, home to two Burmese jade Buddhas. Entry is free with no booking; the seated Jade Buddha hall unofficially costs about ¥10 extra. Open daily 8:00–16:30. Allow 45–60 minutes. Nearest metro: Jiangning Road on Line 13. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jade-buddha-temple - City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China - YesGo score: 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: Free; Jade Buddha hall ≈ ¥10 - With kids: Fine with kids - Temple entry: Free, no booking needed - Jade Buddha hall: Separate fee, about ¥10 - Hours: Daily 8:00–16:30 - Incense days: 1st and 15th of the lunar month — from 7:00 - Chinese New Year: Special schedule; online booking for the eve and some nights - Address: 170 Anyuan Road (安远路170号), Putuo District - Metro: Jiangning Road (Line 13), 5–10 min walk; Changshou Road (Lines 7 and 13) - Photos: Not allowed in the Jade Buddha hall — follow the signs - Payment: Small cash in yuan, or Alipay / WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card - Coordinates: 31.24333, 121.44028 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1882** — founded when the monk Huigen brought two jade Buddhas from Burma (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Jade Buddha Temple) - **≈ 1.9 m** — height of the seated Buddha, carved from a single piece of Burmese jade (source: English and Russian Wikipedia (1.95 m); Ctrip (1.92 m)) - **Free** — entry to the temple, no ticket or booking outside Chinese New Year (source: official temple website, notice of 14 June 2023) - **≈ 3 t** — weight of the seated statue (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **5 statues** — given to Huigen by Chen Junpu, a Chinese resident of Burma; he shipped two to Shanghai (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1918–1928** — the present temple was built on its current site (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **8:00–16:30** — regular hours; from 7:00 on incense days (source: official temple website) - **玉佛禅寺** — Chinese name, Yufo Chansi — “Jade Buddha Chan Temple” (source: official temple website; English Wikipedia) - **1983** — the Shanghai Buddhist Institute was set up at the temple (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1947** — Master Taixu, a reformer of Chinese Buddhism, died at the temple (source: English Wikipedia: Jade Buddha Temple) ## Jade Buddha Temple tickets and entrance fee **Walking in is free.** In June 2023 the temple scrapped its incense-and-flower ticket for every visitor on every day of the year except Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first fifteen days of the lunar new year. There is nothing to book in advance — just walk through the gate on Anyuan Road. The one charge left is for the **Jade Buddha hall** upstairs, about ¥10 according to unofficial guides; the temple’s own site doesn’t list it, so we mark it as being checked. Many guidebooks still quote a ¥20 entrance ticket — that predates the 2023 change. How to pay: keep a few small yuan notes, and set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your Visa or Mastercard before you fly. Either covers the hall fee, incense and a bowl of noodles; mobile payment is the norm all over Shanghai. > **No photos of the Jade Buddha** The seated Jade Buddha is the one thing you can’t photograph — every guide repeats the rule, so watch for the signs at the hall. Courtyards, rooftops and incense burners are fine. In the other halls, put the phone away when a service is on: people come here to pray, and you are a guest in a working monastery. ## Jade Buddha Temple opening hours The temple is open **every day from 8:00 to 16:30**. On the 1st and 15th of each lunar month — the traditional incense days — and on big festivals such as the Buddha’s birthday, the gates open at 7:00. Expect crowds of worshippers and clouds of incense then, which is also the best chance to see the temple fully alive. Over Chinese New Year the temple publishes a special schedule, with online booking for New Year’s Eve and a couple of night openings; at all other times no reservation is needed. Aim to arrive by 15:30 so you can see the halls without rushing before closing. Weekday mornings right after opening are the quietest. ## How to get to the Jade Buddha Temple by metro 1. From the Bund, walk up pedestrian Nanjing Road to East Nanjing Road station and take Line 2 west, towards Hongqiao. 2. After 2 stops, at West Nanjing Road, change to Line 13 towards Jinyun Road. 3. Ride 3 stops — Shanghai Natural History Museum, Hanzhong Road, Jiangning Road — and get off at Jiangning Road. 4. Walk 5–10 minutes along Jiangning Road to the gate on Anyuan Road. Door to door from the Bund takes about 30–40 minutes. 5. Alternative: Changshou Road (Lines 7 and 13), one stop further on Line 13, is a 10–15 minute walk. A DiDi from the Bund takes 15–25 minutes outside rush hour — show the driver 玉佛禅寺. ## Is the Jade Buddha Temple worth visiting? Yes, if you want one Buddhist temple in Shanghai: entry is free, it is a genuine working monastery rather than a museum, and the seated Buddha, cut from a single block of Burmese jade, is the reason to come. The yellow walls and curved roofs make it far more photogenic than its modern surroundings. It is not a big site. Forty-five minutes to an hour covers every hall, and it sits away from the Bund and Lujiazui, so it works best as a morning stop on the way to Jing’an and Nanjing Road. If you’ve already seen major temples in Beijing or Hangzhou, this one is pleasant but not essential. ## What to see inside - **Hall of the Heavenly Kings** by the south entrance — the laughing Maitreya, the guardian Weituo and the Four Heavenly Kings of the four directions. - **Grand Hall (Mahavira Hall)** — three gilded Buddhas, twenty devas and eighteen arhats along the walls, with a large Guanyin behind. - **Jade Buddha hall** on the upper floor at the north end — a seated Shakyamuni about 1.9 m tall, carved from one block of Burmese jade and set with gems. This is what you came for. Separate fee, no photos. - **Reclining Buddha hall** — a small jade Buddha lying on his side at the moment of nirvana. A much larger marble reclining Buddha, donated from Singapore, sits nearby and is often taken for the original. - **Courtyards** — incense burners, yellow walls and upturned eaves; best in soft morning light before the groups arrive. - **Vegetarian canteen** — the temple’s famous mushroom noodles. ## A short history The story starts with **Huigen**, a monk from Mount Putuo. In 1882, returning from a pilgrimage through Burma, he was given five jade Buddhas by Chen Junpu, a Chinese merchant living there. He shipped two — one seated, one reclining — to Shanghai and built a temple for them with donations. That first temple was caught up in the 1911 revolution and the statues were moved. The present complex went up between **1918 and 1928** on land donated by the Qing official Sheng Xuanhuai. The reformer Master Taixu died here in 1947, and since 1983 the temple has housed the Shanghai Buddhist Institute. It follows the Chan school — the Chinese root of Japanese Zen. > **What to wear** There is no formal dress code, but it is an active monastery: cover shoulders and knees, and save shorts and vest tops for elsewhere. Step over the high wooden thresholds rather than on them, keep your voice down, and don’t touch the statues or lean over the altar rails. ## Vegetarian noodles at the temple The temple’s vegetarian canteen is a reason to come in its own right. The signature dish is **double mushroom noodles**; there are also arhat noodles, vegetarian wontons, pastries and, around the Mid-Autumn Festival, meat-free mooncakes. Reported prices per bowl range from ¥25 to ¥38, so check on the spot. Pay by Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash. After an early temple visit, a bowl of noodles makes a good late breakfast before you head on into town. ## Jade Buddha, Jing’an or Longhua Temple? | | Jade Buddha Temple | Jing’an Temple | Longhua Temple | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Entry | Free; Jade Buddha hall ≈ ¥10 | ≈ ¥50 | Grounds free, halls ≈ ¥10 | | Hours | 8:00–16:30 | ≈ 7:30–17:00 | ≈ 7:00–16:30 | | Highlight | Seated jade Buddha | Gilded roofs among skyscrapers | Old pagoda, the city’s oldest temple | | Where | Putuo, Line 13 | West Nanjing Road, Lines 2 and 7 | South Shanghai, Lines 11 and 12 | Jade Buddha Temple hours come from its official website; Jing’an and Longhua prices and hours are unofficial. Short on time? The Jade Buddha Temple is free and has the statues you won’t see anywhere else. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Arriving before 15:30 so the halls are still open - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] A few small yuan notes - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay set up with a foreign card - [ ] Chinese name 玉佛禅寺 saved for the taxi - [ ] Offline Shanghai map downloaded - [ ] No photos in the Jade Buddha hall ## Shanghai temples compared Temples and shrines in Shanghai rated by YesGo. - [Shanghai Old City](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-old-city) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [City God Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-city-god-temple) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ ¥10 (one guide says free) - [Jing'an Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jingan-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ ¥50 - [Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-jewish-refugees-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · CNY 20; students 10, 60+ 15 - [Jade Buddha Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jade-buddha-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Jade Buddha hall ≈ ¥10 - [Longhua Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/longhua-temple) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥10 (one guide says free) ## Temple morning, Bund sunset Start at the Jade Buddha Temple at opening, then the golden roofs of Jing’an, Nanjing Road and the Bund by sunset. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Jade Buddha Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jade-buddha-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Jade Buddha hall ≈ ¥10 2. [Jing'an Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jingan-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ ¥50 3. [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 4. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free ## Good to know Not to be confused with the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok’s Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew), or with Jing’an Temple, the gold-roofed temple on West Nanjing Road about 2 km away. The address is officially in Putuo District, though many guides list it under Jing’an — the district border runs close by. ## Tips - Be there at 8:00 on a weekday — quiet courtyards and soft light on the yellow walls. - On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month the temple opens at 7:00 and fills with worshippers: fascinating, but crowded. - Have small notes or a working Alipay ready for the Jade Buddha hall fee. - Walk the 2 km or take the metro on to [Jing’an Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jingan-temple), then down [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) to the Bund. - Don’t carry lit incense into the halls; keep backpacks in front of you. - Google Maps and Google search are blocked in China without a VPN or roaming eSIM — save the address offline. ## Questions ### How much is the Jade Buddha Temple entrance fee? Nothing — entry has been free since 2023, with no booking. Only the Jade Buddha hall charges extra, about ¥10 according to unofficial guides. ### What are the Jade Buddha Temple opening hours? Daily 8:00–16:30. On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month and big Buddhist festivals it opens at 7:00; Chinese New Year has its own schedule. ### How do I get to the Jade Buddha Temple? Take Line 2 from East Nanjing Road to West Nanjing Road, change to Line 13 and ride 3 stops to Jiangning Road, then walk 5–10 minutes. Allow 30–40 minutes from the Bund. ### What is the nearest metro station? Jiangning Road on Line 13. Changshou Road (Lines 7 and 13) is a 10–15 minute walk. ### Is the Jade Buddha Temple worth visiting? Yes, as your one Shanghai temple: it is free, still a working monastery, and the seated jade Buddha is outstanding. It is small, so pair it with Jing’an and Nanjing Road. ### How long should I spend there? 45–60 minutes for all the halls; about 90 minutes if you stay for noodles. ### Can you take photos inside? In the courtyards and outside the halls, yes. Photography is banned in the Jade Buddha hall — follow the signs. ### Is there a dress code? No formal one, but cover shoulders and knees out of respect — it is a working monastery. ### Where is the Jade Buddha Temple? 170 Anyuan Road, Putuo District, about 4 km northwest of the Bund. For a taxi, show 玉佛禅寺. ## How we checked Hours, free entry and the address were checked against the temple’s official website and notices. The Jade Buddha hall fee isn’t published there; English Wikipedia, East China Trip and Ctrip give about ¥10, so it is marked as being checked. Some guides still quote a ¥20 entrance ticket from before 2023. Sources give the statue as 1.92–1.95 m, so we say about 1.9 m. Noodle prices differ (¥25 vs ¥38). The English core comes from search results and “People also ask”. ## Sources - Jade Buddha Temple official website: opening hours, address, notice of 14 June 2023 abolishing the incense-and-flower ticket, 2026 Chinese New Year opening notice - English Wikipedia: Jade Buddha Temple; Line 13 (Shanghai Metro); Russian Wikipedia: Храм Нефритового Будды; Wikidata Q967601 - East China Trip, September 2026 — Jade Buddha hall fee, hours, metro, noodles - Ruqin Travel, April 2026 — photo rules, clothing, noodles - HK01, 2025–2026 — temple vegetarian food, free entry - Ctrip — Jade Buddha hall fee, statue height - Wanderin China and Trvlogue, 2026 — Jing’an Temple price and hours; Chinatripedia and Nomado — Longhua Temple --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.