Jade Buddha Temple:
In the western part of Shanghai, a very modern and flourishing city, there is a venerable and famous Buddhist temple, Jade Buddha Temple. In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. 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 present site in 1928. It was named the Jade Buddha Temple.
The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society.
Yu Garden:
Located to the south of the Bund, the old Chinese city was a walled fishing town when the British arrived in 1843. At the center of the Old City are the Chenghuang Temple and the Yu Garden, in which stands the Huxining Teahouse, said to be the model for the design on the willow-pattern plates much loved by Europeans in another era. The Bridge of Nine Turns zigzags to make it difficult for evil spirits to get across (since, as is well known, evil spirits have problems with corners).
The Yu Yuan, or "Yu the Mandarin's Garden", is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty. It is a private garden in the southeast of Shanghai, with a history of more than 400 years. The Garden, reminiscent of those in Suzhou, features more than 30 halls and pavilions. It is divided into six parts, each separated by a white brick wall, the top of which forms and undulating gray dragon. Each part of the park, although divided, has a balance and harmony creating a unity of expression.
