| Guan Yin Hall of the temple | |
|---|---|
 Guan Yin Hall of the temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | No. 150 Donglin Street, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai. |
| Country | China |
  | |
| Coordinates | 30°53′47.59″N121°9′38.30″E / 30.8965528°N 121.1606389°E /30.8965528; 121.1606389 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1308 |
TheDonglin Temple (Chinese:東林寺;pinyin:Dōnglín Sì;lit. 'East Wood Temple') is aBuddhist temple located in the town of Zhujing,Jinshan District,Shanghai,China. It is dedicated toGuanyin, thebodhisattva of compassion.
The temple was first constructed during theYuan Dynasty in 1308,[1] but has been destroyed repeatedly by war, fire, neglect, and to make way for reconstruction.[1] The only remaining historical building on the site (a hall) was listed as a city-level protected cultural site in 1987.[1] The temple was complete redesigned and rebuilt in the years 2004 to 2007.[2]
As of 2010, the temple has occupied a 20-hectare site.[2] The main entrance gate of the complex is reached via three parallel bridges.
The central feature of the temple's courtyard is a 5.4-meter-tall statue ofShancai,[2] the Child of Wealth (Chinese:善財童子;pinyin:Shàncáitóngzǐ), decorated withCloisonnéenamel.[2] The statue is surrounded by 8 copper fish with opened mouth into which visitors can toss coins.
In the back of the courtyard lies, the main building of the temple, theGuanyin Dian. The hall's exterior mimics a large red natural cliff. The entrance gate to the building is about 20 meters high and 10 meters wide. Its bronze doors are decorated with 999 relief images of Buddha.[2] The hall is 31 meters wide, 42 meters deep, and 31 meters high[2] and houses a gilded statue of the thousand-armedGuanyin. The statue is 27 meters tall and stands on a 2-meter-high lotus base.[2] Its arms are up to 5 meters in length.[2]
The temple is located to in the southwest of Shanghai, on the corner of Renmin Road and Donglin Street. Its address is: No. 150 Donglin Street, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai.