City God Temple of Shanghai

The City God Temple or Temple of the City Gods, officially the City Temple of Shanghai, is a folk temple located in the old city of Shanghai, China. It commemorates the elevation of Shanghai to municipal status and is the site of the veneration of three Chinese figures honored as the city gods of the town. It is also known by some locals as the "Old City God Temple", in reference to a later "New City God Temple" which no longer exists.

In Chinese, "Chenghuangmiao" is also used as the name of the commercial district near the temple. This is generally known in English as Yu Garden, after a nearby Chinese garden. The district is now incorporated under the name Yuyuan Tourist Mart.

History

Regardless of size, many walled cities in ancient China contained a temple dedicated to one or more immortal or god as the spirit or protector of the city.

The City God Temple in Shanghai originated as the Jinshan God Temple, dedicated to the spirit of Jinshan, or "Gold Mountain", an island off the coast of Shanghai. It was converted into a City God Temple in 1403, during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty.