PLACE GUIDE

City God Temple 上海城隍庙

Shanghai Chenghuang Miao

Shanghai’s City God Temple is a Taoist religious precinct beside Yuyuan Garden.

Shanghai City God Temple seen from above · 上海城隍庙俯瞰
Shanghai City God Temple seen from above · 上海城隍庙俯瞰 Photograph date recorded by the source: 9 September 2018, 14:32:35. · Legolas1024 · Legolas1024 — 城隍庙·上海南市.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

Shanghai · 上海市 →Huangpu District · 黄浦区 →

About City God Temple

Its history connects the worship of local protective deities with the growth of the old city.

The temple’s origins reach back to the early Ming period, but the present buildings were reconstructed after a major twentieth-century fire. Distinguish the working temple from the surrounding shopping streets: the courtyards and worship halls are the religious visit, while the commercial area is a separate part of the neighbourhood. Observe worshippers respectfully and check which halls visitors may enter.

The temple was founded in 1403, during the Yongle era, converted from an earlier shrine to Huo Guang (霍光). Its city god was later identified with Qin Yubo (秦裕伯), a late Yuan and early Ming Shanghai literatus, replacing an earlier county city-god figure. The temple expanded over the Ming and Qing dynasties, reaching its greatest extent in the early Daoguang era, and after damage during conflicts in 1842, 1853 and 1860 it was repeatedly restored through public subscription.

In 1924, during the Ghost Festival's 'Sanxunhui' procession, an overturned candle set off a fire that destroyed the main hall; the temple was rebuilt in reinforced concrete between 1926 and 1927. Religious activity stopped in 1966, during the Cultural Revolution, and the temple's property was used for other purposes; it was returned to the Shanghai Taoist Association in November 1994 and religious activity resumed the following year.

The temple's main halls, aligned north to south, include a spirit wall, mountain gate, ceremonial gate, main hall, side halls and a rear sleeping hall, behind which lie an east garden, built in 1709 and now part of Yu Garden, and a west garden on the site later occupied by Yu Garden itself.

What to look for

  • Taoist courtyards and worship halls form a religious precinct within the old-city commercial area.
  • The reconstructed buildings continue a temple tradition dating to the early Ming period.

Location & getting there

Getting to City God Temple

Approach 249 Fangbang Middle Road beside the Yuyuan area and identify the temple entrance separately from the surrounding shops.

General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. City God Temple courtyards

    Begin with the religious precinct and its arrangement of worship spaces.

  2. Accessible temple halls

    Explore the local protective-deity tradition within permitted visitor areas.

  3. Yuyuan Garden豫园

    Add the neighbouring classical garden as a separate visit with its own entrance arrangements.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

Historic sites & architecture · 历史古迹／建筑 →

Find City God Temple

上海城隍庙 · 黄浦区

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Fuyou Road Mosque 福佑路清真寺

Less than 1 km away

Fuyou Road Mosque developed from a Muslim community that raised funds for a permanent prayer place in 1870. The building combines a traditional Qing-style exterior and interior arrangement with Islamic religious functions.

View guide →

Yuyuan Garden 豫园

Less than 1 km away

Yuyuan Garden began as a Ming-period private garden created by Pan Yunduan for his father. It occupies a compact but intricate sequence of halls, rockeries, ponds and corridors beside Shanghai’s City God Temple.

View guide →

Chenxiang Ge Temple 沉香阁

Less than 1 km away

Chenxiang Ge is a Buddhist temple and nunnery in Shanghai’s old-city area. Its quiet religious role contrasts with the nearby commercial streets around Yuyuan.

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “上海城隍廟” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 91778186.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “City God Temple” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "上海城隍廟", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 91778186.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07