Zhen Ru Buddhist Pagoda

The pagoda, called stupa in Sanskrit, usually refers to a tall and monumental structure. They are originally built to keep sacred relics of Buddha, and are located near or within a temple. The 53-meter high Zhenru Pagoda, which is translatable as Thusness Pagoda, was built in 1999. It is the first pagoda built in the last century of Shanghai’s history and is currently the landmark of Zhenru town. The multi-eave pagoda is ten stories above the ground and has an underground palace used for enshrining sacred relics of Sakamuyi. The pagoda is located on a big granite platform, leading to the ground by four staircases and surrounded by stone fences. Eight stone relief images of Bodhisattvas were carved on the external façade of the ground floor of the pagoda. A five-meter corridor has been built around the pagoda for the sake of Buddhists, who come to worship and circumambulate the pagoda. Inside the Pagoda, there are Buddha statues on each side of the walls from the 3rd layer to the top layer, as well as wooden-carvings of stories describing Sadhana’s visits of 53 masters.