Longhua Pagoda
LONGHUA Temple and pagoda in the southwest area
of the city was a major tourist attraction for foreigners
in the days of Old Shanghai. It has eight sides and
seven storeys and was first built in the year 274AD.
The pagoda itself is closed but can easily be seen from
the road. The temple complex opposite is huge, featuring
several impressive Buddhas, including one who looks
like a serene Bart Simpson. 2853 Longhua Lu.
Longhua, the Historic Town
Longhua, which has a long history, is one of the famous
ancient towns south of the Yangtze River. Situated in
the southeast part of Xuhui District, it covers an area
of 8.08 sq. km and has a population of over 40,000.
At Longhua is found the thousand-year-old Temple of
Longhua that features on its grounds an ancient pagoda.
Here is also located the Martyrs' Cemetery of Shanghai
and the memorial hall of Huang Daopo the ancient weaving
lady of China. Every year in March, the local people
like to come to Longhua to enjoy the sight of the blooming
peach flowers and stroll around the fair before the
Temple. At the Temple, the old hierarchical system
that began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is still in
force today. Visited every day by large numbers of monks
and laymen, the Temple is pervaded by the smell of incense
burning and the sounds of prayers and Buddhist ritual
music. Over a million people visit the Temple each year
and on the eve of the Lunar New Year, large numbers
of people, Chinese as well as foreign, come and listen
to the Temple bell ringing in the new year. The pagoda
in the Temple was first built in A. D. 977 in the Song
Dynasty. An octagonal seven-storied structure, it is
over 40m high. In 1990, technicians installed new lighting
devices in the Temple and atop the pagoda, thus making
it possible for the Temple to present itself at its
best on festive nights.
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