The Old City God Temple in Shanghai is situated within the ancient walled city. Interestingly today the phrase ‘City God Temple’ refers to not only the expansive temple compound, but also to the commercially oriented area which surrounds the temple. More than a hundred shops and stores may be found within the locality and many are housed within buildings which are almost a hundred years old. The actual shrine compound lies adjacent to the well-known Yuyuan Garden, which is another location boasting a long history.
Many of the walled towns and cities of China in ancient times featured a shrine honouring the one or more deities or immortals who were thought to protect and safeguard the city. Shanghai’s City God Temple is thought to have originated as a shrine dedicated to a spirit deity of Jinshan Island. This shrine was converted into that of a City God place of worship in the early years of the 15th century, at the time of rule of the Ming Dynasty’s Yongle period.
During the reign of the later Qing Dynasty the shrine grew increasingly popular. The populace of the nearby areas visited the temple to beseech the heavenly powers for peace and good fortune. The multitudes visiting the temple attracted many commercial enterprises to the area.
Today three principal City Gods take pride of place at the shrine. Of these Huo Guang was a renowned Han era Chancellor who gained fame for his role in securing the throne for an emperor. Meanwhile the similarly esteemed Qin Yubo was a Shanghai resident who served in the Yuan era civil services. The third City God is Chen Huacheng, a Qing general who defended Shanghai in the period of the Opium Wars.
Today many interesting shopping opportunities may be enjoyed in the vicinity of the temple. Here you will find a bewildering array of merchandise, from dazzling jewellery to tasty local snacks. With all of these attractions to be enjoyed a visit to this locality is sure to be a memorable experience.
The discerning visitor to the city desiring serviced apartments Shanghai will be pleased by the Ascott Huai Hai Road Shanghai. This attractive accommodation Shanghai offers provides comfortable rooms and gracious service.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
