Located on the Longhua Road at the south of the city, Longhua Park
is famous for the ancient Longhua Temple, Longhua Pagoda, the
Evening Bell-Striking Ceremony and the peach blossoms.
First built in 242 AD, which is during the period of the Three
Kingdoms, Longhua Temple is the oldest temple in Shanghai for its
long history of over 1700 years. Because of the several destructions
by the wars, most of the buildings in Longhua Temple were reconstructed
during the reign of the Emperor Tongzhi and Guangxu in the Qing
Dynasty.
Besides its long history, Longhua Temple is the largest temple
in Shanghai. It occupies an area of over 20,000 square meters (five
acres) and the architectural proportion is about 5,000 square meters
(one point two acres). Along the 194 meters long (637 feet) axis
are the Maitreya Hall (Miledian), Devajara Hall (Tianwangdian),
Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Three Sages Hall (Sanshengdian),
Abbot's Hall (Fangzhangshi) and the Sutras Keeping Hall (Cangjinglou)
which keeps the three treasures of the temple including the Dazang
sutras, the gold seals and the Buddhist statues. Accessory halls
on the two sides are the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, both of
them are furnished with the same hexagonal windows and the curved
eaves. The whole courtyard was built strictly in the style of traditional
Buddhist symmetry and it's in accordance with the Chinese concept
of beauty.
A venerable copper bell which is two meters in height, one point
three meters in diameter and weighs five tons (11,023 pounds) is
placed on the three-storied Bell Tower. The Evening Bell-Striking
Ceremony on 31st December is regarded as one of the eight great
attractions of Shanghai. Welcoming the New Year in the melodious,
heavenly sound of the bell is an interesting and memorable experience.
The seven-storied, 40.4 meters high Longhua Pagoda stands in front
of the Longhua Temple, the brick body and the wooden staircases
make up the main structure of the Longhua Pagoda. Each storey is
smaller than the storey below, and all the levels are encircled
by balconies and banisters. Bells on each corner of the octagonal
eaves make cheerful and lively sounds as the wind passes by. Longhua
Pagoda has been rebuilt several times, but the style of the Song
Dynasty still remains to today.
In late spring, when the peaches in Longhua Park are in full blossom
and the temple fair (on the 3rd March, lunar calendar) is under
way, large numbers of tourists and pilgrims will come and the Longhua
will become a place of great hustle and bustle.