The Shanghai City God Temple is located in the city center of Shanghai within the City God Temple tourist area, also known as the Old City God Temple. It is a renowned Taoist temple in Shanghai. Most visitors to the City God Temple tourist area come for the local snacks and Yu Garden, but they may not be aware that to the south of Yu Garden there is a tranquil Taoist temple amidst the hustle and bustle. This temple is a historically significant sacred place for blessings, where one can experience the local religious culture. The Shanghai City God Temple was originally built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424), even earlier than Yu Garden. However, it suffered severe damage during the Cultural Revolution and was later restored to its full glory. The temple now houses nine halls including the Main Hall, Jia Zi Hall, God of Wealth Hall, Cihang Hall, and City God Hall. The Main Hall features a plaque with ‘City God Temple’ above its entrance, and inside it enshrines a seated statue of the God of Jingshandong, General Huo Guang from the Han Dynasty, flanked by the civil and military judges, followed by day and night inspectors, and eight servants. The Yuanchen Hall, also known as the Sixty Jia Zi Hall, enshrines the gods corresponding to the sixty-year cycle, where believers worship their birth year’s deity for safety and good fortune. The Cihang Hall enshrines the Eye Mother Goddess, the Great Bodhisattva Cihang, and the Queen of Heaven; the God of Wealth Hall enshrines the God of Wealth, Jinbao Xian Guan, Lishi Xian Guan, and Najin Xian Guan; the Wenchang Hall enshrines Wenchang Dijun, with two attendants known as Tianlong and Diya. At the back of the temple is the City God Hall, where a red-faced wooden statue of the City God of Shanghai County sits upright. The hall is furnished to resemble a Ming Dynasty county yamen, with a solemn atmosphere. To the east of the City God Hall is the Parents Hall, which enshrines the parents of the City God of Shanghai County; to the west is the Queen’s Hall, which enshrines the wife of the City God, Lady Chu. The temple is open year-round from 08:30 to 16:30, and on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month from 6:00 to 16:30. Children policy: Each adult with a valid ticket can bring one child under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.3 meters in height (inclusive) for free (not for groups).
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