Hongfa Temple

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Hongfa Temple is located within Fairy Lake Botanical Garden. I had been to the garden before but didn't visit the temple at that time as the place is just too big to be covered in one trip. Today, I finally made it back there to visit the temple. I had booked my ticket online in advance. There seemed to be no limit on the number of tickets sold unlike last time I was there. The walk from the subway station to the main gate didn't take too long, 5-10 minutes and then it was probably about another 20-30 stroll to the temple. There is also a shuttle bus to take you to the temple, but it had quite the queue. The walk through the botanical gardens was nice. There wasn't a lot to see, just greenery, but it was pleasant nonetheless. It was a scorcher of a day but there was a nice breeze to take the edge off. There were also some big black rainclouds overhead, but I was lucky as there were only one or two big raindrops, no giant downpour. On my way to the temple I passed some cute rabbit statues and a small lake that had a couple of egrets resting in it. The little lake was gorgeous and looked so picturesque with the forest behind it. There was also a woman who was clearly a very devout Buddhist as she was walking along and stopping after so many steps to prostrate.

I reached the steps to the entrance to the temple and got a bit of a shock as I hadn't expected it to be so busy. I should have known better. The first set of stairs were surrounded by walls with beautiful carving of the different Buddhas on them. I really liked them and could have happily spent a long time looking at all the intricate details on them and taking pictures of them. From there, I walked round to the main entrance to the temple. I did like that the temple have set up a one way system to ease congestion. There were also some kind of vending machines, which I think people were buying incense sticks from. I thought that the temple might be quite old, but doing some online research (there was nothing in English at the temple), I found out that it was only built in 1985 and that it took about seven years to complete. There was no mention if there had previously been a temple on this site. I headed up the stairs which were lined with dragon statues. I could see the clouds of burning incense in front of the hall. It's a sight I really enjoy seeing. The first hall was really busy so I headed up the stairs to the right to see if I could escape the crowds for a bit. I was successful and found a little spot next to a closed up hall to sit and relax in. A few people were coming to pray at this hall but not many. It was also attached to the large, I think 7 storey, building that made up part of the temple complex. The building was pretty utilitarian looking and didn't really fit in with the traditional looking buildings.

Once refreshed, I headed up the next set of stairs. It was baking hot now as the sun was out in force. I passed a large queue of people. I think they were queuing for the cafeteria but I could be wrong. I had a walk around that floor. It was busy with people praying in front of the different halls, so I didn't stay in one place too long before I made my way up the last flight of stairs to the top of the temple complex. It was a little quieter up here, but still plenty of people. I liked the view looking down on the hall on the previous level as you got a great view of people worshipping. I wondered if all these people were really devout Buddhist or if it was more like superstition passed on through their families. The Chinese flag was flying in front of the temple and so was the Buddhist flag. I don't think I've ever noticed a Buddhist flag flying at a temple before. There were some nice views of the mountains and surrounding countryside. The steps back down were inside and it was nice and cool in there. I passed a gorgeous shaped window that offered a fabulous view. I would like to have soaked in the view there, but it appeared to be a popular spot for taking pics, so I didn't hang around. Now on the other side of the temple complex, I could see a pagoda further up the hillside. While it would have been nice to visit, I was too hot and bothered and I didn't know if it was open to the public, so didn't want a wasted trip up the road. I made my way to the exit and passed the enormous bus queue. The walk back along the road to the exit was fine and I stopped at the little lake to take some more pictures as the weather was a bit better now.

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