# City God Temple, Shanghai > Shanghai's City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao) is a working Taoist temple in the Old City, inside the Yuyuan Bazaar. It is not Yu Garden: the garden is next door with its own ticket. Entry is about ¥10 (one recent guide says free), and it opens daily, roughly 8:30–16:30 — unofficial figures. Allow 30–40 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-city-god-temple - City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: About ¥10 incense ticket; one guide says entry is now free - Hours: Daily ≈ 8:30–16:30, last entry ≈ 16:00 - Address: 249 Fangbang Middle Road (方浜中路249号), Huangpu District - Metro: Yuyuan Garden, Lines 10 and 14 — Exit 1, about 10 minutes' walk - Buying: At the temple gate by scanning a QR code; no online booking - Payment: WeChat Pay or Alipay with a foreign Visa/Mastercard; carry some yuan as backup - Yu Garden: About 400 m east — a separate sight with its own ticket - Coordinates: 31.22778, 121.48806 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1403** — the shrine became Shanghai's City God Temple under the Yongle Emperor (source: English, Chinese and Russian Wikipedia; China Discovery) - **≈ ¥10** — incense-and-flower ticket at the gate; one guide reports free entry (source: unofficial: Shanghai Bendibao, China Discovery, Chinatripedia; East China Trip) - **≈ 400 m** — to Yu Garden, a separate sight next door (source: YesGo calculation from Wikipedia coordinates) - **Huo Guang** — Han-dynasty statesman enshrined in the main hall (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Discovery; Chinatripedia) - **Qin Yubo** — 14th-century Shanghai scholar worshipped as the City God (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; China Discovery) - **1926–27** — main hall rebuilt in reinforced concrete after a fire (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (current building 1926)) - **60** — Taisui deities, one per year of the 60-year cycle, in the Yuanchen Hall (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Chinatripedia) - **2 lines** — at Yuyuan Garden metro station: 10 and 14 (source: English Wikipedia: Yuyuan Garden station) - **上海城隍庙** — Chinese name — “Chenghuangmiao” also means the whole bazaar district (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) ## City God Temple tickets and entrance fee **Entry costs about ¥10.** It is sold as an incense-and-flower ticket, and Shanghai Bendibao says it comes with three incense sticks; China Discovery and Chinatripedia quote the same price. East China Trip, however, says entry is now free with no QR code to scan. We found no Chinese source confirming that, so the price is marked as being checked. There is no online booking. According to Bendibao's Chinese New Year notice, you buy at the gate by scanning a QR code. Don't bring your own incense, candles or paper offerings — they are not allowed — and never carry lit incense into a hall. Payment: scanning a QR code means WeChat Pay or Alipay. The Shanghai government's visitor pages confirm foreigners can link overseas cards to WeChat, so set it up before you fly. Keep a little cash in small notes too; if the gate won't take it, the snack stalls will. ## City God Temple opening hours The temple opens **every day, roughly 8:30–16:30**, and China Discovery says entry stops at 16:00. Bendibao, China Discovery, Chinatripedia and East China Trip agree on these hours, but the temple currently has no working official website, so treat them as unofficial. A few guides give a 17:00 close in peak season. Chinese New Year is different: Bendibao's notice lists 6:00 openings on the first days and late-night sessions from 22:00 to 1:00 on New Year's Eve and the God of Wealth night, with separate tickets. The bazaar around the temple keeps going long after the gate shuts. ## How to get to the City God Temple 1. From the Bund at Nanjing Road, walk back west to East Nanjing Road station and take Line 10 towards Hongqiao. 2. Ride one stop to **Yuyuan Garden**. Line 14 stops here too: one stop from Lujiazui, three from Jing'an Temple. 3. Leave by **Exit 1** (South Henan Road, Renmin Road, Yu Garden) and head south-east through the bazaar lanes. The gate is about 600 m away as the crow flies, roughly 10 minutes on foot. 4. Walking from the Bund is about 1.4 km due south, 20–25 minutes. You pass close to [Yu Garden](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/yu-garden), which is 400 m east of the temple. 5. By taxi or DiDi, show 上海城隍庙 or the address 方浜中路249号. There is no parking and the bazaar is pedestrian, so you'll be dropped at the edge of the district. > **City God Temple vs Yu Garden: not the same place** The temple, Yu Garden and the Yuyuan Bazaar sit side by side, and many guides lump them together as “Chenghuangmiao”. The temple is a compact Taoist courtyard with a small gate ticket; Yu Garden is a walled classical garden with its own ticket office; the bazaar is free streets of shops and snack stalls. A ticket for one does not get you into the other. ## Is the City God Temple worth visiting? Yes, if you are already heading to Yu Garden or the bazaar. It is a few minutes' walk, the fee is token, and half an hour gives you something rare in central Shanghai — a busy, working Taoist temple with incense smoke, wish plaques and a hall for almost every kind of prayer. Skip it if you want antiquity or calm. The buildings have been rebuilt many times, it is surrounded by a crowded tourist market, and weekend courtyards get packed. It is not worth crossing the city for on its own: if you only see one temple, the [Jade Buddha Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jade-buddha-temple) or the gilded [Jing'an Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jingan-temple) leave a bigger impression. Come at opening on a weekday, then do the bazaar and garden — by midday the lanes fill with tour groups. ## What to see inside - **Gate and screen wall** — carved stone and dragons along the roof ridges; the classic photo, visible straight from the bazaar street. - **Main Hall of Huo Guang** — the Han-dynasty statesman seated between civil and military judges. The building is 1920s concrete, the iconography fully Taoist. - **Yuanchen Hall** — 60 Taisui deities, one for each year of the 60-year cycle. Locals look for the one matching their birth year and light a candle. - **City God Hall** — the statue of Qin Yubo, Shanghai's protector; Chinese Wikipedia notes his wife's statue stands beside him. - **God of Wealth Hall** — the busiest corner, especially at New Year and when local traders open a new business. - **Halls of Yuelao, Wenchang and Guandi** — the Old Man under the Moon who ties marriages, the patron of scholars and exams, and the god of loyalty. Red ribbons and plaques show what people come to ask for. ## What kind of temple is it? A **City God** (chenghuang) is the guardian and judge of a town in Chinese folk religion — every old walled city had one. Shanghai's temple belongs to the Shanghai Taoist Association and is staffed by Taoist priests; most people in the courtyard are worshippers, not tourists. It began as a shrine to Huo Guang, a Han-dynasty statesman venerated on Jinshan island off the coast, and became the City God Temple in **1403** under the Yongle Emperor. Later Qin Yubo, a local 14th-century scholar, became Shanghai's City God, while Huo Guang kept the main hall. Many guides add General Chen Huacheng as a third City God; Chinese Wikipedia calls that a misunderstanding — his statue was only kept here for safety during the war. Pilgrims brought traders, and the streets around turned into the market that is now the Yuyuan Bazaar. The main hall was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in **1926–27** after a fire. The temple closed in 1966 and services resumed in the mid-1990s, so nearly everything you see is restoration. ## Food at the Yuyuan Bazaar next door The bazaar around the temple is mostly about eating. The famous stop is **Nanxiang** (南翔馒头店) by the zigzag Nine-Turn Bridge, known for xiaolongbao — soup dumplings eaten with ginger and vinegar. The takeaway window queue is usually longer than the wait for a table upstairs. Prices are tourist-level and the souvenir shops repeat each other, so graze in small portions rather than sitting down for one big meal, and do your shopping elsewhere in the city. WeChat Pay or Alipay works at nearly every stall. > **What to wear and how to behave** It is an active Taoist temple. Guides mention no strict dress code, but covering shoulders and knees is the respectful choice. Step over the high thresholds, keep clear of the incense burners, never carry lit incense into a hall and don't touch the statues. Photos are fine in the courtyard; inside, follow the signs, skip the flash and don't shoot worshippers up close. ## Temple, Yu Garden or bazaar: which is which | | City God Temple | Yu Garden | Yuyuan Bazaar | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Working Taoist temple | Walled classical garden | Pedestrian shopping and food streets | | Entry | ≈ ¥10 at the gate (or free — being checked) | Separate ticket office | Free | | Time needed | 30–40 minutes | See the garden's page | As long as your appetite lasts | | Evenings | Closed from ≈ 16:30 | See the garden's page | Open, lit up at night | The temple and garden are about 400 m apart with bazaar lanes between them. For Yu Garden prices and hours, see its own page; “Chenghuangmiao” can mean the temple or the whole district. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Arriving before 16:00 - [ ] WeChat Pay or Alipay set up with a foreign card - [ ] Some yuan in small notes - [ ] Chinese name 上海城隍庙 saved for the taxi - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] Remember: Yu Garden needs its own ticket ## 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) ## The Bund, Yu Garden and the temple in half a day Start on the Bund, walk south to Yu Garden, then the temple and on into the Old City lanes. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free 2. [Yu Garden](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/yu-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30–40 by season 3. [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) 4. [Shanghai Old City](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-old-city) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Good to know Don't confuse the temple with Yu Garden next door — separate sights, separate entrances. “Chenghuangmiao” is used for both the temple and the whole shopping district. Almost every old Chinese city, and several in Taiwan, has a City God Temple; this page covers Shanghai's, on Fangbang Middle Road. For the old Fangbang Road lanes beyond the bazaar, see the [Old City](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-old-city). ## Tips - Arrive at 8:30 on a weekday — the courtyard is quiet and the bazaar is just waking up. - Use Exit 1 at Yuyuan Garden station; the station has many exits and others leave you circling the district. - Don't buy incense from street hawkers — you can't bring your own in, and sticks come with the ticket. - Pair it with Yu Garden, which opens in the morning; by lunchtime both the garden and the bazaar are crowded. - Afterwards, walk west along Fangbang Road into the Old City, where the crowds thin out fast. - The district is lit up after dark, and a [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) from Shiliupu pier is a short walk away. - Google Maps is blocked in China without a VPN or roaming eSIM — save 上海城隍庙 and an offline map before you go. ## Questions ### How much is the City God Temple entrance fee? About ¥10 for an incense ticket bought at the gate by QR code. One recent guide says entry is now free; that isn't officially confirmed. ### What are the City God Temple's opening hours? Daily, roughly 8:30–16:30, with last entry around 16:00. Hours change over Chinese New Year. These are unofficial figures. ### Which metro station is closest? Yuyuan Garden on Lines 10 and 14. Use Exit 1 and walk about 10 minutes south-east through the bazaar. ### How do I get there from the Bund? Take Line 10 one stop from East Nanjing Road to Yuyuan Garden, or walk about 1.4 km south in 20–25 minutes. ### Is the City God Temple the same as Yu Garden? No. Yu Garden is a separate classical garden about 400 m east, with its own ticket office. The temple ticket does not cover the garden. ### Is the City God Temple worth visiting? Yes if you are at Yu Garden or the bazaar anyway — it is cheap, close and a genuinely active Taoist temple. Not worth a special trip if you've seen bigger temples. ### How long do you need? 30–40 minutes for the halls and courtyard; half a day with the bazaar, lunch and Yu Garden. ### Who is worshipped there? Huo Guang, a Han-dynasty statesman, in the main hall, and Qin Yubo, Shanghai's City God. Other halls honour the God of Wealth, Yuelao, Wenchang, Guandi and the 60 Taisui. ### Can you take photos inside? Yes in the courtyard and at the gate. Inside the halls, follow the signs, no flash, and don't photograph worshippers up close. ## How we checked The temple's old official website now shows a domain-parking page, so price and hours are marked as being checked. ¥10 and 8:30–16:30 agree across Bendibao, China Discovery and Chinatripedia, last entry 16:00 comes from China Discovery; East China Trip reports free entry with no QR code, which we could not confirm in Chinese sources, so both are shown. Address: Wikipedia and guides give 249 Fangbang Middle Road, Bendibao gives 1 Yicheng Road; we use the first. Dates for the temple's revival differ (1994 or 1995; restoration 1996 or 2005–06), hence “mid-1990s”. English and Chinese Wikipedia disagree on whether Chen Huacheng is a City God — noted in the text. Guides give metro Exit 1 or 7; Wikipedia lists both towards Yu Garden, we use Line 10's Exit 1. The English core comes from search results and related questions. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: City God Temple of Shanghai; Yuyuan Garden station; Line 14 (Shanghai Metro); Chinese Wikipedia: 上海城隍庙, 南翔馒头店; Russian Wikipedia: Чэнхуанмяо; Wikidata Q289901 - Shanghai Bendibao — temple fact sheet (price, hours, metro) and Chinese New Year notice (gate tickets, rules) - China Discovery — price, hours and last entry, address, halls and deities - Chinatripedia — price, hours, address, main hall and Yuanchen Hall - East China Trip — report of free entry, hours, halls, metro - Shanghai Municipal Government, english.shanghai.gov.cn — payment for foreign visitors, linking overseas cards to WeChat --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.