(1) I walked out of the village where the previous temple was located (taking a few shots along the way), and ended up waiting for over an hour before I caught a ride back to town. One bus came (and went!), and a couple of full taxis. Finally, I got a taxi that took me all the way to my next temple, Guanghua Si.
The first thing I saw on the grounds was a pair of small pagodas. This is one of my favorite styles for a pagoda.
(2) Detail of one of the small pagodas.
(3) Nearby was a much larger pagoda. Named the "Shakya Pagoda," it was built in 1165.
(4) The stone of the pagoda is meant to imitate carved wood. While it won't fool you, it really is elegant.
(5) The doors are flanked by arhat-like figures.
(6) Various decorations are seen above and below the figures; this flower caught my eye.
(7) Alas, at some point (perhaps fairly recently?) most of the figures lost their noses. Odd that these haven't been repaired.
(8) Behind the mountain gate, and before the "free-life" ponds, there are several large Bodhi trees, known by their distinctive leaves. Note there's no fence on either side of this gate; the grounds are pretty much uncloseable.
(9) Here's the Main Hall.
(10) Lots of Chinese living in institutions (like temples or schools) are used to walking to a central boiler to pick up some water. This old monk was on his outward-bound journey.
(11) To the rear and next to the main compound is this Guanyin Pavilion, with fairly unusual red brick construction.
(12) Here's the Guanyin figure inside; she's mighty big.
(13) And here she is in close-up.
(14) Beyond the Guanyin Pavilion, up the hill, is this Wenshu Pavilion.
(15) This was the very farthest hall from the gate, and when I was shooting this statue of Wenshu, I got told "NO!" for the first and only time. Glad I made it.
(16) When the taxi was bringing me in, I had noticed a row of statue makers along the street (actually, they would have been hard to miss). So I walked out that way, shooting as I went. Here's a 1000-armed 11-headed Guanyin; it's unusual to be able to look one in the eye.
(17) A detail of the same Guanyin, showing some of the "thousand arms" (actually, hands).
(18) It looks like these arhats are having a meeting. If you look carefully...
(19) ...this fellow's armhole reveals that they're hollow, and made of plastic. What a disappointment! I wonder how many cheap plastic statues I've seen on my pilgrimage?
(20) I suspect this is the "Nose-picking arhat." (Or is he E-VILL?)
(21) This is my favorite shot of the whole trip. It speaks for itself.
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Last Updated August 8, 2019
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