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Published: April 7th 2015
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Bean Curd
Making soy bean curd using a traditional mill. This morning was another early morning. We were all tired and didn't bother with Thai Chi. Yesterday's Thai Chi was a little advanced for us anyway. We all think it would be a great thing to take up when we get home again.
After breakfast we headed off the boat to Shi Bai Zhai temple. This temple was originally built on the top of a large cliff overlooking the river. Now there is a dyke protecting it from the river when it is at it's highest level. We ran the gauntlet of at least 100 hawkers, all selling similar things that we didn't really need. We were told to hold off on purchases until our way back. We walked up to the 'Drunk Bridge', a suspension bridge that did actually make you feel drunk when you crossed it.
On arrival at the temple, there were bronze statues of all the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.We walked around the dyke, taking some nice pictures of the nine storey Red Pavilion or Red Pagoda. This pagoda is thought to be built in 1762, though there are conflicting dates. This red pagoda was built so that a people
Year of the Dog
Lots of statues to the Chinese horoscope. could walk up the stairs to access the Shi Bao Zhai temple. The temples at the top of Jade Seal Hill were said to be built around 1672. The red pagoda was built to that people could access the temple on the hill without climbing up the cliff faces.
In the temple at the top of the hill, there is a duck hole where they say if you drop a duck down the hole, it will come up swimming in the river below. Monks were also said to draw water from the river through a large bamboo. There is also a rice flowing hole where it is said that each day, enough rice drifted up the hole each day to feed the monks and their guests. One day, a greedy monk wanted more rice so made the rice hole bigger. As a result, the rice flow ceased forever.
This afternoon we went to the Ghost City of Feng Du. It was really interesting. There were three buddhas there that reprinted the past, present and the future. There were 34 steps to paradise! There was a beautiful Chinese inscription that I have attached as a
photo that shows the four characters of achieve, peace, only and kindness. It means - only through kindness can you achieve peace. I thought that was pretty nice. The other inscription was a letter of sorts from the emperor to his mother. It said - native, mother, seven and zero. It was a wish that his mother would have a long life.
Much of the temple has been restored as in the Cultural Revolution, the red army destroyed much of it. Within the complex was the temple or palace of the Yama - The King of Hell. In China, the main religion is Taoism and as Buddhism comes from India. The buddhist way of life is quickly growing. In Buddhism, they pray for the next ice, in Taoism, they pray for this life. This temple was built the Ming Dynasty. Today was Easter Monday and the celebration of the tomb sweeping was happening when we were there.
Because the temple was a Taoist temple, there was evidence of the Ying (woman) and Yang (man) as well as Feng Shui. There was also a story about a temple of 100 children.
In the temple,
Sexy Ladies
At the red pagoda. Built do that people could access the temple at the top of the clifffs. there were 3 challenges. The first was to make it to the top of the hill. There were a lot of stairs and it really was hard work. The 2nd was to pass through the gates of hell, leaving the bad things behind and into the good. The last challenge was to balance on your right foot for 3 seconds on a brass disc shaped like half a sphere.
On the cruise tonight, we had what they called 'Home Dinner'. There was a banquet of about 8 entrees and then main meals. Way too much for us to eat but we did give it a really good go. A few glasses of champagne later and all was well. Tonight we needed to pack to be ready to leave the ship straight after breakfast.
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