No. 13: Yufo Temple, Shanghai

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 19, 2012.)

The Yufo Temple (玉佛寺) in Shanghai (上海) is famous for the Jade Buddha after which it was
named, but there are several more jade figures there, including this one of Guanyin (观音).

August 26, 2009 - On my last day in Shanghai (and the last day of my first, nine-day pilgrimage) I went from Jing'an Temple up to nearby Yufo Si (Jade Buddha Temple), wherein reside several magnificent (you guessed it) jade Buddhas.

No. 12: Jing'an Temple, Shanghai

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 12, 2012.)

When I visited Jing'an Temple (静安寺) in Shanghai (上海), it was just being rebuilt. On a later
visit, although the temple was not finished, I saw this silver figure of Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼).

August 26, 2009 - The next morning, I walked back to Jing'an Si Station, where I finally saw the interior of the temple there, which is under construction.

Shanghai's Jing'an Temple (literally "Temple of Peace and Tranquility") is one of the oldest AND newest temples I've been to.

No. 11: Yuanming Jiangtang, Shanghai

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 5, 2012.)

The buildings at Yuanming Jiangtang (圆明讲堂) in Shanghai (上海) look like office
buildings, but some fine statues inside include this Jade Buddha (玉佛).

August 25, 2009 - Friends have asked me how I can visit so many temples and not get bored. "Aren't they all the same?" they wonder.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

After the precious Chengxiang Ge and the huge, stunning Longhua Temple, I managed to make it back to the area where I was staying to visit the Yuanming Lecture Hall.

No. 10: Longhua Temple, Shanghai

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 27, 2012.)

The pagoda (塔) at Longhua Temple (龙华寺) in Shanghai (上海)
stands outside the front gate, and is its most famous feature.

August 25, 2009 - From the tiny jewel of Chenxiang Ge, I took a single bus south to Longhua Temple, the largest ancient Buddhist temple in Shanghai.

No. 9: Chenxiangge, Shanghai

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 20, 2012.)

The last hall (殿) at Chenxiangge (沉香阁) in Shanghai
(上海) has a statue of Guanyin (观音) made of an aromatic
wood called agarwood--"chenxiang" (沉香) in Chinese.

August 25, 2009 - After visiting Ningbo's Qita Temple, I spent a full day traveling to Shanghai. Then, the next morning, I visited one of the prettiest little temples I've seen, the Chenxiang Ge.

No. 8: Qita Temple, Ningbo, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 13, 2012.)

The new halls (殿) at Qita Temple (七塔寺) in Ningbo, Zhejiang (浙江,
宁波市), are a pleasing combination of gray brick and light wood.

August 23, 2009 - After my day in the mountains outside of Ningbo, I finally entered the center of the city itself.

I had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, then walked back east past the Catholic Church, through Tianyi Square, and across the Fenghua River to my goal, the Qita ("Seven Pagoda") Temple.

No. 7: Ayuwang Temple, Ningbo, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 6, 2012.)

The large box on the altar in this picture is said to contain a relic
(舍利子) of the skull of Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), sent there by King Ashoka
(阿育王) of India. At Ayuwang Temple (阿育王寺), Ningbo, Zhejiang (浙江, 宁波市).

August 22, 2009 - Leaving Tiantong Temple in the mountains, my friends, the driver, and I stopped for lunch in a country restaurant. Then we went to a place I was really looking forward to: Ayuwang Temple, near the Ningbo-Beilun highway.

No. 6: Tiantong Temple, Ningbo, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 30, 2012.)

Gateway to a small compound in an upper corner of Tiantong
Temple (天童寺) outside of Ningbo in Zhejiang (浙江, 宁波市).

August 22, 2009 - The morning after my return from Putuoshan Island, my friends and I headed out by private car (for which they kindly paid). We traveled west from Beilun, toward central Ningbo, but then turned south into some of Zhejiang's wild mountains to find Tiantong Si, the "Temple of the Heavenly Child."

EXTRA: Nantian Men Area, Putuoshan, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 16, 2012.)

The Nantian Men (南天门), the "Gate of the Southern Heaven" on Putuoshan
in Zhejiang (浙江, 普陀山), is a natural gateway made of two standing
stones with one across the top. These lead into a small temple area.

August 21, 2009 - When I had arrived on Putuoshan Island two days earlier, I had been rushing to my hotel, and hadn't had time to explore the area around the docks. So on my last afternoon, I went back to see what I had missed.

No. 5: Fayu Temple, Putuoshan, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 9, 2012.)

The Nine Dragons Hall (九龙殿) at Fayu Temple (法雨寺) on Putuoshan in
Zhejiang (浙江, 普陀山) started its life as a Ming-Dynasty palace in
Nanjing. It is the "home" of the temple's main Guanyin (观音) statue.

August 21, 2009 - I left Puji Temple and returned to Fayu Temple, where I had been the day before.

No. 4: Puji Temple, Putuoshan, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 2, 2012.)

Three of the eighteen amazing arhats (罗汉) at Puji
Temple (Puji Temple) on Putuoshan in Zhejiang (Zhejiang, Putuoshan).

August 21, 2009 - The morning after my hike down from Huiji Temple, I walked from my hotel to Puji Temple, once again passing the "Plentiful Treasure Pagoda" (Duobao Ta). This time I would enter Puji.

No. 3: Huiji Temple, Putuoshan, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 26, 2011.)

The entry to Huiji Temple (慧济寺) on Putuoshan in Zhejiang (浙江, 普陀山).

August 20, 2009 - When I left the area of the Nanhai Guanyin, I walked up to the parking lot in front of Puji Temple, which is a hub for the island's shuttle buses. (One nice thing about Putuo Shan: there are no private vehicles or taxis, only work-related vehicles and shuttle buses.) I boarded one that would take me to the north end of the island and the cable car for Huiji Temple.

EXTRA: Nanhai Guanyin Area, Putuoshan, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 19, 2011.)

This giant statue of Nanhai ("South Seas") Guanyin (南海观音) is
20 meters high on a 13-meter base--a total of 33 meters, a number
sacred to Guanyin. The statue dominates the southeast area of
Putuoshan in Zhejiang (浙江, 普陀山).

August 20, 2009 - The day after my return from Hangzhou, I went to Mt. Putuo, one of the "Four Buddhist Mountains" of China. (The others are Mt. Emei in Sichuan, Mt. Wutai in Shanxi, and Mt. Jiuhua in Anhui. I haven't been to any of these yet!) [Note in March of 2014: only Emei Shan remains!]

No. 2: Jingci Temple, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 12, 2011.)

Ji Gong (济公), seen standing here behind the Vairocana Buddha
(毗卢遮那佛). He managed to get kicked out of Lingyin Temple
(灵隐寺) and ended up spending time here at Jingci Temple
(净慈寺) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang (浙江, 杭州市).

August 18, 2009 - When I left the beautiful Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, I did a little bit of browsing in the shopping street outside the gate before hopping into a taxi for the short ride to Jingci Temple ("Temple of Pure Compassion").

No. 1: Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 5, 2011.)

This Vairocana Buddha (毗卢遮那佛) and the two bodhisattvas at his
sides are located in the uppermost hall at Lingyin Si (灵隐寺) in
Hangzhou, Zhejiang (浙江, 杭州市), the first "official" temple I visited.

August 18, 2009 - In the summer of 2009, I discovered a list of 142 Buddhist sites designated "Key Temples" by the central government back in 1983. I immediately set out to start seeing all of them. In this new column, I'll chronicle my adventures, and offer some tips on seeing these temples and the surrounding places of interest in China.

My first excursion, in August of that year, was to Zhejiang, since I had friends living in Beilun, a suburb of Ningbo. After spending a night with them, I hopped a highway bus for the 2-1/2 hour ride to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang.

Trip 1: Zhejiang 1 (Hangzhou, Putuoshan, Ningbo) and Shanghai (August 17-26, 2009)

This is a record of my first trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.