Longhua Temple (龙华寺)
Temple · Xuhui · Shanghai. One of Shanghai's oldest temples, beside a Song-dynasty pagoda; famous for noodles.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/longhua-temple · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Why go
Longhua Temple (龙华寺) in Xuhui is one of Shanghai’s oldest Buddhist temples, with a tradition dating to the 3rd century. Its halls keep a Song-dynasty seven-hall layout along a 194 m axis, and in front stands the octagonal Longhua Pagoda, rebuilt in 977. It feels less hemmed in by towers than Jing'an, and locals queue for its vegetarian noodles.
What to do
- Circle the Longhua Pagoda. The seven-storey, eight-sided Longhua Pagoda (龙华塔) by the gate was rebuilt in 977 under the Northern Song and is Shanghai's oldest surviving pagoda. It has tilted on the soft ground and is closed to climbing; walk round it and photograph its reflection.
- Walk the six halls. From the Maitreya Hall (弥勒殿) with its laughing Buddha, continue through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall and the Three Saints Hall to the abbot's quarters and the Thousand Buddha Pavilion (千佛阁), 194 m in all.
- Hear the Longhua evening bell. The bell tower behind the gate holds the bronze 'Green Dragon' bell; 'Longhua evening bell' (龙华晚钟) was one of the eight views of old Shanghai, and the bell is struck 108 times on New Year's Eve.
- Eat the vegetarian noodles. The temple's vegetarian noodle hall behind the fourth hall serves cheap bowls of noodles with vegetarian toppings, usually late morning to early afternoon; expect a queue after the morning prayers.
- Find the 500 arhats. The Arhat Hall holds 500 gilded arhat statues, each with a different face and pose.
- Don't miss: The Northern Song boundary stones (空相寺 corner stones) in the grounds, physical proof the temple stood here by the 11th century.
- Best time: Weekday morning; spring for blossoms
- Skip if: Skip it if you can only see one temple and are staying near West Nanjing Road; Jing'an Temple is closer, though smaller.
Practical details
- Hours: 09:00–16:30 daily
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 09:00–16:30
- Lunar 1st and 15th days open from 05:00.
- Spring Festival has its own timetable; New Year's Eve night and lunar New Year's Day need a free online reservation.
- Other listings give 07:00 or 08:00 opening; 09:00 is the later published time.
- Admission: Free entry, or ¥10 with incense
- The ¥10 may be the incense bundle rather than a gate ticket; carry a payment app or small cash.
- Booking: Ordinary-day booking rule not confirmed
- Main gate, 2853 Longhua Road (龙华路2853号山门)
- Passport accepted: unknown — Ordinary-day ID and passport rules have not been confirmed.
- A local guide reports reservations for Spring Festival nights; an ordinary-day operator rule was not found.
- Historical 2026 Spring Festival only: 16 Feb night and 17 Feb required free reservations via 上海龙华寺 service account; 18 Feb–3 Mar mostly did not. Future years need their own notice.
- Last admission: Last entry not confirmed
- Time to allow: 1–2 hr incl. noodles
- Getting there: Line 11/12 · Longhua station
- Metro Line 11/12 to Longhua (龙华), about 3 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 请送我到徐汇区龙华路2853号 龙华寺
- Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
- Guides name Exit 1, 2, 3 or 5; the pagoda and gate are a few minutes' walk from the station.
- Address: 上海市徐汇区龙华路2853号 / 2853 Longhua Road
- Foreign visitors: Ordinary-day ID and payment rules unconfirmed
Not found yet
- transport.metro[0].exit: 出口说法不一：英文攻略 3 号口、Trip.com 帖 1/2 号口、另一摘要 5 号口；官方未写出口。 (searched: media, WebSearch, Trip.com Moments, blog)
- booking.passport.accepted: 2026 春节预约表单的护照规则未查到；平日证件规则也未确认。 (searched: media, WebSearch, Trip.com Moments)
- foreignVisitors: 无外国游客支付、语言的可追溯一手信息（Reddit 只有一句推荐）。 (searched: WebSearch, Reddit/Exa, Trip.com Moments)
- booking.required: Only a local guide describes Spring Festival reservations; no dated operator rule for ordinary-day booking was found. (searched: government visitor listing, Ctrip venue listing, local guide)
- lastAdmission.time: Ctrip alone lists 16:30 as last admission; government listings say 16:30 closing without an entry cutoff. (searched: government visitor listing, Ctrip venue listing, local guide)
- booking.realName: 2026 春节特殊预约公告不说明平日实名要求。 (searched: local guide, government)
- foreignVisitors.idToBring.value: 平日证件要求未获寺院或政府公告确认。 (searched: government, local guide, visitor report)
- foreignVisitors.payment.cash.value: 现金说法仅来自单篇旅游指南的面馆信息，不足以推及全寺收费点。 (searched: travel guide, OTA)
Traveler tips
- Queue early for the noodles. Longhua's vegetarian noodles (素面) are the temple's best-known food: about ¥10 a bowl, served roughly 11:00–14:00 in the noodle hall behind the fourth hall. A line forms as soon as the morning worshippers finish, so arrive around 10:45 or after 13:00. Cash and mobile payment are accepted. Caveat: The 10:45 timing is editorial; prices from one 2026 guide. (2 travelers) source
- Look at the pagoda; you can't climb it. The Longhua Pagoda in front of the gate is Shanghai's oldest pagoda, rebuilt in 977. It has tilted on the soft ground and has been closed to climbing for years, so enjoy it from the plaza: the reflection in the pool and the view from the gate are the usual photos. (3 travelers) source
- Check the Spring Festival notice. Before a Spring Festival visit, check the current year’s opening hours and reservation rules, especially for Lunar New Year’s Eve and Day 1. The arrangements can differ by date. Caveat: The 2026 notice required free reservations on 16 February night and 17 February; this does not establish future years’ rules. source
- Come in spring for blossoms and the fair. Shanghai's old saying is 'on the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month, go to Longhua to see the peach blossoms'. In late March to April the grounds bloom, and the Longhua Temple Fair (龙华庙会) fills the square outside; in 2026 it ran over the May Day holiday with road closures nearby. Expect big crowds on fair days. source
- Worth the trip south of the centre. Longhua is a metro ride from the main sights, but some visitors rank it above the busier central spots. Combine it with the Longhua Martyrs Cemetery, about five minutes away, or the West Bund riverfront. Caveat: In an August 2026 r/travelchina thread on what to skip, one commenter wrote 'Skip: Yu Garden. Absolutely go: Longhua Temple'. A single short opinion, not a detailed review. (2 travelers) source
Sources
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2024-06-21)
- Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
- Xuhui District People's Government (published 2026-02-14)
- Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
- Xuhui District People's Government (published 2026-02-14)
- Ctrip
- 上海本地宝
- 上海本地宝 (published 2026-02-13)
- 上海本地宝 (published 2025-01-24)
- Lu Yao (Travel Of China) (published 2026-05-21)
- si ratree (Trip.com Moments)
- Reddit r/travelchina (published 2026-08-20)
- iRecommend (published 2025-11-24)