Maste Hui Gen soon passed away and his disciple Master Ben Zhao succeeded the position. Master Ben Zhao once obtained a set of the Tripitaka. Not long after that, war broke out and the monastery was occupied (some said it was burnt). The two jade Buddhas were left in the open air in a park. Master Ben Zhao begged many people for help and wanted to rebuild the monastery, however, he left without fulfillment of his wish. Master Hong Fa, a retired abbot from the Tianmu Mountain of Zhejiang Province, came to Shanghai and succeeded the abbot. Master Hong Fa was supported by Master Ye Kai, abbot of the Tianning Monastery of Changzhou and Master Ji Nan, abbot of the Xianglin Monastery of Nanjing, and rented a house on the Maigen Road to set the jade Buddhas for the time being, thus disciples could come to worship.

In the fall of 1917, Master Hong Fa passed away. Masters Ye Kai and Ji Nan recommended Master Ke Cheng to succeed the abbot. Master Ke Cheng thought it was not a long way to rent a house as a monastery. He discussed with Masters Ye Kai and Ji Nan and decided to seek a new place to rebuild the monastery. Finally on the Binlang Road (Anyuan Road today), he received donation of 11 mu of land, which belongs to the descendants of Sheng Xuanhuai and collected donations to start the construction. The project started in 1918. Six years later, the halls, buildings, corridors, and vegetarian kitchens were completed one by one, which are the houses and buildings of the Jade Buddha Monastery today. In the construction of the monastery, Master Ke Cheng carefully chose materials and moved them himself. Now the monastery is a famous one in Shanghai. Master Ke Cheng belonged to the Linji School of Chan Sect, so the new monastery was named as Jade Buddha Chan Monastery.

In 1932, Master Ke Cheng passed away, and his disciple Master Yuan Chen succeeded him.

Master Yuan Chen was the abbot of the Jade Buddha Monastery for altogether 10 years. During this time, the country was suffering the invasion of Japanese troops. Especially when Shanghai was isolated, Master Yuan Chen made extraordinary painstaking efforts to support the monastery.