Experience The Longhua Temple
Feast and Ritual at Longhua Temple
Longhua District is in Shanghai’s southwest and it has an interesting history. It was known as Maling during the Three Kingdoms period and served as a major link between the north and south. The region changed over time, becoming a center for agriculture and commerce, a focal point of resistance to foreign imperialism in the nineteenth century, and a key site for China’s labor movement in the twentieth. Longhua District is presently is a hub for high-tech businesses, promising future prosperity for Southwestern Shanghai. The highlight of the Longhua Temple experience lies in exploring how the local Shanghainese have embraced their belief in Maitreyan to survive, and witnessing the fusion of spirituality and history in this sacred place.
Location — Longhua metro station
1: Walking around the Longhua pagoda
- As you gaze upon the awe-inspiring Longhua Pagoda, a seven-story tower that has withstood the test of time, you are taken back to the Three Kingdoms period. Its intricate wood, brick, and stone construction inspires awe and respect, with carvings and reliefs of texts. The presence of the Buddhist Guanyin on the first floor provides spiritual tranquility to the viewing experience of the Longhua Pagoda, making it incredibly compelling and immersive for the audiences.
2: Praying with incense to the god
- At Longhua Temple, you can light incense, watch the smoke rise, and immerse yourself in a sense of purity and peace while honoring the spiritual legacy of the Buddha and embracing the transient essence of life. Following the praying tradition of the Shanghainese locals.
3: Exploring around many different hall of gods
- After our incense practice, we will visit the other halls in the temple as how a Maitreyan should visit gods to fulfill their wishes. The Emperor Heavenly Hall is where the emperor of heaven is worshiped. The Grand Hall of the Great Sage is where the Monkey King is worshiped. The Three Sages Hall is where Confucius, Laozi, and Guanyin are worshiped.
4: Vegetarian noodle at the Longhua Temple
- Participants in the Maitreya Prayer Feast and Ritual at Longhua Temple finishing off with a delicious vegetarian lunch at the Vegetarian Cafeteria after giving prayers to the gods. The Luo Han Zhai or Monk’s Vegetarian Stew noodle dish, which embodies the Buddhist ideals of compassion for all sentient beings and the practice of non-violence, is a delicious combination of veggies, mushrooms, tofu, and either wheat or rice noodles.
Designed by Ken Saengkla from Chiangmai, Thailand ; James Widjaja from Surabaya, Indonesia.