The oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Shanghai, Longhua dates to the Three Kingdoms period (247 CE) though the current structures are mostly Qing dynasty reconstructions. The temple complex includes a seven-storey Song dynasty brick pagoda — the best surviving example of pre-modern architecture in Shanghai — visible from some distance.
The temple is an active religious site and one of the most visited in the Shanghai area during Lunar New Year and other Buddhist observances. The surrounding grounds include a peach garden that blooms in March. The Longhua Martyrs Memorial nearby documents the execution of Communist prisoners by the Nationalist government between 1928 and 1937. Metro Longhua.