Located in the western part of Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple is the most well known Buddhist temple in Shanghai. It was first built 1882 from an old temple to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the same site in 1928. It was named the Jade Buddha Temple. The biggest statue is carved out of a single piece of white jade, 1.92 meters in height. The smaller one (the Recumbent Buddha) is 96 centimetres long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg. The temple also holds collections of Buddhist scriptures, totalling some 7,000 copies.

Yuyuan Garden (Town-god Temple)
Built from 1559 to 1577 during the Ming dynasty by Pan Yongduan, it is one of the famous classical gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. The garden covers an area of about 20,000 square meters in Nanshi District. It is built in a style associated with the renowned Suzhou gardens, which are characterized by an exquisite layout, beautiful scenery and artistic architecture. Each pavilion, hall, stone and stream in the garden expresses the essence of South China’s landscape design from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

There are 50 scenic spots and historical sites such as Sansui Hall, Dianchun Hall Big Rockeries, Dragon Wall and Inner Garden. After 1950, the garden was largely renovated, and is open to the public in 1961. The Nine-zigzag Bridge, Hexin Pavilion, a teahouse and a bazaar are favourite holiday spots for visitors.

Longhua Temple
With a history of approximately 1700 years, it is the oldest and largest ancient temple in Shanghai. Believed to be built between 220 and 280 AD by Sun Quan King of Wu, the temple houses Buddhist scriptures, gold seals and images of Buddha of the Tang Dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasties. Major attractions include the Tianwang (Heavenly King) Hall, Hall of Mahavira and Hall of Jade Buddha. In front of the temple is a 40-meter high Longhua Pagoda, a 7-storey octagonal brick structure with curved eaves. A bell-striking ceremony is held here on New Year’s Eve every year.

Shanghai Museum
Established in 1952 in Nanjing Road, the Shanghai Museum was relocated to the People’s Square in 1996. It is a museum of ancient arts, large in scale and with advanced facilities. The museum covers a floor space of 38,000 square meters. Its 5-storey round building with two stories underground possessed a collection of 120,000 precious works of art of 21 categories, including bronze ware, pottery, coins, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings. The museum also has three exhibition halls, a tearoom, a restaurant, shops, a high-definition graphics hall, a library and a VIP garden. As a remarkable cultural institute in the centre of Shanghai, the museum draws thousands of visitors every day. This is a place not to be missed when you visit Shanghai.

People’s Square
The People’s Square and the People’s Park are located at the site of the former Shanghai Race Course. The square covers an area of 140,000 square meters is home to the Shanghai municipal government mansion, Shanghai Opera House and Shanghai Museum. The 600-meter long and 32-meter wide People’s Boulevard is paved with granite and flanked by a 5.5-meter-long strip of grass and a 6.5-meter-wide lane for non-motor vehicles. Today, the People’s Square has become Shanghai’s political and cultural centre. It is only a walking distance to the famous shopping street of Nanjing.