Zhenru Temple

CHINA, Shanghai

Zhenru stands for the Sanskrit word Tathata, which has the meaning of Thusness or Suchness. Its Great Hero Hall is the oldest timber building in Shanghai. The temple was built by monk Yong’an during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). In 1320 during the Yuan dynasty, monk Miaoxin moved the temple to its present location. The temple flourished and declined throughout its history until 1949, when only the Great Hero Hall was still left standing. The temple was repaired after 1990. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1996.
The temple occupies over 8,000 sq m. Along the central axis, the principal buildings include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, Perfect Understanding Hall, and a pagoda. Along the sides there are buildings such as the bell and drum towers, Ksitigarbha Hall, Sangharama Hall, Manjusri Hall, Samantabhadra Hall, and the Medicine Buddha Hall. To the west of the temple there is a 200 m long stele gallery located along the Zhenru Pier. The side buildings of the temple are two stories high and are linked to each other by covered walkways.
The three-by-three bay Great Hero Hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The tapered columns supporting the eaves are slightly inclined. The corners of the eaves are slightly upturned. The beams, columns, architraves, and bracket sets were mostly from the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). During repairs in 1963, inscriptions written by artisans at the time of construction were discovered. This discovery was an important find for researchers of Chinese architectural history.