Religious Architecture

Following the tumultuous destruction of religious beliefs, practices and architecture that characterised the Mao era, religion has enjoyed a powerful resurgence in Shanghai (as it has nation­wide) from the 1980s to the present day. The city’s most standout buildings may be dedicated to Mammon, but many of Shanghai’s most impressive religious buildings are once again active places of worship.

Jade Buddha Temple (Click here)
PETER ADAMS / CORBIS ©

Temples

The place of prayer for Buddhist, Taoist or Confucian worshippers, Chinese simiao (temples) tend to follow a strict, schematic pattern. Most importantly, all are laid out on a north–south axis in a series of halls, with the main door of each hall facing south.

One striking difference from Christian churches is the open-plan design of temples, with buildings interspersed with breezy open-air courtyards. This allows the climate to permeate; seasons therefore play an essential role in defining the mood. The open-air layout furthermore allows the qi (energy) to circulate, dispersing stale air and allowing incense to be burned liberally.

Buddhist temples of architectural note include the Jade Buddha Temple, with its striking yellow-and-red walls; the Jing’an Temple, a recent rebuild of one of Shanghai’s first temples (c AD 247); and the Old Town’s Chenxiangge Nunnery.

Standout Taoist temples include the Temple of the Town God, with its fine carvings, and the Baiyun Temple, rebuilt in 2004 with attractive port-red walls. Both are in the Old Town, which is also home to the large Confucian Temple, lovingly restored in the 1990s after taking a hammering during the Cultural Revolution.

Shanghai’s Best Temples, Churches & Synagogues

» Jade Buddha Temple (Click here) Shanghai’s best-known shrine, housing a serene effigy of Sakyamuni (Buddha).

» Jing’an Temple (Click here) Now impressively restored, this Buddhist temple is a major Jing’an landmark.

» Chenxiangge Nunnery (Click here) One of the Old Town’s most sacred sites.

» Sheshan Basilica (Click here) Standing sublimely atop a hill just outside town.

» Ohel Moishe Synagogue (Click here) Jewish Shanghai’s most significant chunk of religious heritage.

Churches

Churches in Shanghai reflect the long Christian presence in this historically cosmopolitan city. After St Ignatius Cathedral and Sheshan Basilica, other churches of note are the beautiful Russian Orthodox Mission Church, with its blue domes; the pretty Dongjiadu Cathedral, Shanghai’s oldest church (c 1853); the empty St Nicholas Church (1934); and the delightful St Joseph’s Church (c 1862; 36 South Sichuan Rd), with its Gothic spires, now located within the grounds of a school.

St Ignatius Cathedral (Click here)
LONELY PLANET / GETTY IMAGES ©

Mosques

The main active mosque in Shanghai is the Peach Garden Mosque, built in the Old Town in 1917. While not particularly impressive architecturally, it is nevertheless an interesting mix of styles with its neoclassical-like facade, Islamic green domes and mixture of Arabic lettering and Chinese characters.

Menorah in Ohel Moishe Synagogue (Click here)
IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY ©

Synagogues

Of the seven synagogues once built in Shanghai, only two remain. The recently renovated Ohel Moishe Synagogue is now the absorbing Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Of more authentic charm is the rather neglected, ivy-cloaked Ohel Rachel Synagogue in Jing’an, which was Shanghai’s first synagogue (1920).

Balconies in the atrium of the Jinmao Tower (Click here)
JOSE FUSTE RAGA / CORBIS © ARCHITECT ADRIAN SMITH

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14