The City God Temple is an interesting Daoist temple located next to the Yuyan Garden and Shanghai's old city retail complex, which are the Shanghai famous attractions for China day tours. The temple originally dates back to around 1400. It was closed during the Cultural Revolution, reopened in the 1990s, and then renovated in 2006. It is now open to the public, but still serves as an active temple.

When travel for Shanghai day trips, you may understand way the City God Temple is so popular. 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. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was closed down and used for other purposes. For many years, the main hall was used as a jewellery shop. In 1951, the Board of Trustees of the City God Temple was dissolved, and the temple was handed over to the Shanghai Taoist Association and made into a Taoist center. In 1994, the temple was restored to its former use as a temple, with resident Taoist priests.

The temple is composed of several halls. The Main Hall shrines the statue of Huo Guang (a great general of Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD)). Yuanchen Hall shrines the Yuanchen God who blesses the god luck in the whole year. Yuanchen in Chinese means auspicious time. Cihang Hall enshrines three Goddesses including Yanmu Goddess (help to cure eye disease), Cihang Goddess (bless the safeness) and Mazu (bless the safe sailing). As its name suggests, Wealth Hall is a hall where people pray for fortune and happiness. Parents Hall enshrines the parents of City God. If interested, our China Travel Agency will arrange the tour for you as your requirments.