New Year’s Walk in Shanghai’s Longhua Temple
In this video, a New Year’s morning walk through the oldest and largest ancient temple in Shanghai.
Longhua Temple (龙华寺; alternative name Longhwa Temple) is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Maitreya Buddha located in Xuhui District. The name of Longhua Temple comes from the allusion in Buddhist scriptures about Maitreya Bodhisattva becoming a Buddha under the Longhua tree.
It covers an area of over 20,000 square meters. The temple’s famous landmark is the Longhua Pagoda (龙华塔).
In the early morning, Shanghai Longhua Temple is enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere. The morning light is slightly dewed, and the temple bells echo in the air melodiously, as if to welcome the arrival of the new year. Citizens gather in front of the temple early, holding incense sticks, and sincerely pray for peace and happiness in the New Year.
The ancient buildings of Longhua Temple look particularly solemn in the morning light. The red walls and golden tiles of the temple shine in the sunlight, as if telling the story of thousands of years of history and culture. People lined up in front of the Daxiong Treasure Hall, waiting for the moment to offer incense and pray for blessings. Incense is filled with incense and smoke, as if to convey people’s wishes to the sky.
Longhua Temple is not only a religious holy place, but also a place full of human feelings. Inside and outside the temple, there are people of all ages, and their faces are filled with anticipation and blessings for the new year. Under the guidance of their parents, the children follow the example of adults, fold their hands and close their eyes in prayer. The old people sat quietly under the long corridor of the temple, enjoying the peace and tranquility of this moment.
The New Year’s bell rings again, as if reminding people to cherish the present and look forward to the future. The blessing activities of Longhua Temple are not only a summary of the past year, but also a good wish for the new year. People have found spiritual sustenance here, and they have also felt the strong flavor of the New Year here.
On the first day of the new year, Longhua Temple witnessed the prayers and hopes of countless people. Whether it is praying for health and safety, or for a successful career or family happiness, every wish is prayably blessed here. Longhua Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, still attracts countless believers to pray for blessings and welcome the arrival of the New Year with its unique charm.
Video Source: New Year’s Blessing I Shanghai Longhua Temple I 01.01.2025 I 4K from LOVE SHANGHAI on Youtube ⁄ CC BY