Our visit to the Huating Temple was a real treat for me. The site is simply gorgeous and I was able to give my camera a real workout as we wandered around the grounds. Originally the site was used as the vacation residence for a provincial ruler, about 900 years ago, but it was converted into a temple during the Yuan Dynasty [about 700 years ago]. Since then it has been rebuilt and restored several times, most recently in 1923.
We walked along this wall and entered the complex by a side gate.
And were greeted by a familiar sight -- people playing cards in public.
The grounds are beautiful and irenic, a wonderful place to spend a lovely Spring day.
The goldfish thought I was there to feed them. At least, I think that's what was on their minds.
A turtle suns itself on lotus leaves.
Three turtles and a frog.
Eventually we headed for the main temple.
When we left the outer grounds and entered the temples, the mood changed dramatically. These figures are meant to represent "devas" [demigods] who guard the temple. They certainly are fierce.
I noticed that the fierce, violent devas are portrayed as black-skinned, while the light skinned devas are peaceful and display a love of music. I wonder what the NAACP would say about that.
Inside the temples. I had started taking pictures when an elderly woman came up to me and signaled that photography inside the holy places was forbidden. I stopped, but didn't erase the images I already had.
Outside the temples it was quite another story -- there was no objection to photography and there was so much to shoot.
Lovely gardens,
Interesting architectural detail,
More architectural details,
Doors and colonnades,
Brilliant colors,
Moon gates. I avoided taking pictures of the monks going about their business. This guy stepped into the picture just as I snapped the shutter.
Religious texts, at least that's what I think they are.
Even the benches on which we rested made for interesting pictures,
More details,
more,
more,
Candles at a shrine,
There was more, much more, but eventually we had to get back on the bus and head for our next destination.
We walked along this wall and entered the complex by a side gate.
And were greeted by a familiar sight -- people playing cards in public.
The grounds are beautiful and irenic, a wonderful place to spend a lovely Spring day.
The goldfish thought I was there to feed them. At least, I think that's what was on their minds.
A turtle suns itself on lotus leaves.
Three turtles and a frog.
Eventually we headed for the main temple.
When we left the outer grounds and entered the temples, the mood changed dramatically. These figures are meant to represent "devas" [demigods] who guard the temple. They certainly are fierce.
I noticed that the fierce, violent devas are portrayed as black-skinned, while the light skinned devas are peaceful and display a love of music. I wonder what the NAACP would say about that.
Inside the temples. I had started taking pictures when an elderly woman came up to me and signaled that photography inside the holy places was forbidden. I stopped, but didn't erase the images I already had.
Outside the temples it was quite another story -- there was no objection to photography and there was so much to shoot.
Lovely gardens,
Interesting architectural detail,
More architectural details,
Doors and colonnades,
Brilliant colors,
Moon gates. I avoided taking pictures of the monks going about their business. This guy stepped into the picture just as I snapped the shutter.
Religious texts, at least that's what I think they are.
Even the benches on which we rested made for interesting pictures,
More details,
more,
more,
Candles at a shrine,
There was more, much more, but eventually we had to get back on the bus and head for our next destination.
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