Historic temple set to go on the move

SHANGHAI: The main hall of a 135-year-old temple in Shanghai will be moved 30m to its north in order to create more space for visitors.

The Mahavira Hall in Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1882. The temple attracts over two million visitors a year, with daily visitors reaching as high as 100,000.

A major renovation project started in 2014.

The moving of the temple started on Saturday and is set to be finished in two weeks.

The main hall will be relocated 30.66m northward within the temple and elevated by 1.05m.

Master Jue Xing, abbot of the Jade Buddha Temple and vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China, said moving the hall would create more space between buildings and reduce the risk of a stampede as the temple was usually tightly packed.

Buddhist statues and relics in the hall would also be moved together with the hall, he added.

Statues and other relics in the building were stabilised and protected with frames to avoid damage. — China Daily/Asia News Network