Jade Buddha Temple

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Why
Jade Buddha Temple
is special

The Jade Buddha Temple houses two exceptional Buddha statues, each exquisitely carved from a single piece of white jade. The temple's architectural design is also very impressive.

Jade Buddha Temple
tips & insights

Two famous jade statues

The temple was named for these two sculpture masterpieces. They have different postures:

Reclining
One of the two is of Buddha in a reclining posture (see photo). It depicts the moment when he was leaving earth to enter Nirvana. His skin appears to emit an inner glow. The statue is approximately one meter (3 feet) long.
Seated
The other famous statue is of  Buddha in a seated position, the point of his enlightenment. The statue is bejeweled and is about two meters (6 feet) in height.

The temple also has a reclining Buddha statue twice the length of the famous one. Don't confuse them, as some tourists do. The large one is not an artistic masterpiece.

Active temple

The Jade Buddha Temple is a working place of worship, not just a tourist destination. You will see monks performing ceremonies and worshipers burning bundles of incense sticks.

Construction history

The temple was built in 1882 to house the jade Buddhas, but was destroyed in 1911, then rebuilt in 1918. The reconstruction was done in the very photogenic architectural style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Sacred scriptures

A complete set of sacred ancient Buddhist scriptures are stored next to the seated jade Buddha.

Best times to come

To avoid the crowds, go early or late in the day - and definitely not on weekends.

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