Shanghai’s Hidden Ming Temple
In a narrow lane off the Nanjing Road pedestrian street stands a small, shabby box of a building. It’s no match for the flash and buzz of the famous street, yet its powers are so mighty that it has remained part of Shanghai life since the Ming Dynasty.
On the roof, a plain red sign with two bright yellow characters reveals a hint: 虹庙 — Hong Miao, the Rainbow Temple [1]. In the lane, hopeful vendors coo, “watch, bags?”. Obviously, any foreigner who has wandered down here must be a lost shopper.
Another hint lies on a small table in the lane: packages of incense, carelessly strewn atop cartons of Double Happiness cigarettes. Nearby, spent incense sticks and drips of red candle wax decorate the ground like a Jackson Pollock painting.
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