Continue your day and visit the Jade Buddha Temple, a sacred 19th-century structure built during the Qing Dynasty and see the two elegant Jade Buddha statues. Marvel at the majestic architecture of the temple and listen as your guide explains the captivating history of the construction. The Jade Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple and as with many modern Chinese Buddhist temples, the current temple draws from both the Pure Land and Chan traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. It was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Myanmar by sea. Finish your tour by reaching the Jade center to learn the difference between jadeite and nephrite and how the jade is closely linked with Chinese culture. Chinese jade refers to the jade mined or carved in China from the Neolithic onward. It is the primary hard stone of Chinese sculpture and although deep and bright green jadeite is better known in Europe, for most of China's history, jade has come in a variety of colors and white "mutton-fat" nephrite was the most highly praised and prized. Most Chinese jade today is extracted from the northwestern province of Xinjiang. If something catches your eye, this is the perfect opportunity to purchase a beautiful souvenir of your day in Shanghai.