Ancient Ramparts of Zhengding, Hebei(August 30, 2011)

(1) Walking around in Zhengding, the original locus of what is now Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province. This gateway was unexpected; it's a reproduction of part of the ancient city wall.

Tianning Temple, Zhengding, Hebei(August 30, 2011)

(1) This modern pailou gate provides a nice entree to Lingxiao Pagoda at Tianning Temple, Zhengding.

Kaiyuan Temple, Zhengding, Hebei(August 30, 2011)

(1) The last pagoda of the day is Xumi Pagoda at Kaiyuan Temple, Zhengding. Near the side entry gate stands this huge bixi (赑屃). In its original condition, there would have been a large stele on its back; this one weighs 107 tons. It was made during the Five Dynasties Period (907-960) and was excavated in June 2000.

Zhanshan Temple, Qingdao, Shandong(August 31, 2011)

(1) At last! After a five-hour train ride from Beijing (where i was stuck for the night for lack of trains) and a 20-minute taxi ride in Qingdao, I arrived at Zhanshan Temple, a pretty little place in a big park. Nothing spectacular, but nice people, and a pleasant way to end the trip.

Trip 11: Zhejiang 2(Mountains and Wenzhou)(September 12-17, 2011)

Guoqing Temple, Tiantai Shan, Zhejiang

My 11th trip took me through the mountains of Zhejiang, and especially to the famous Tiantai Shan, home to an esoteric Buddhist sect (known in Japan as Tendai).

Dafo Temple, Xinchang, Zhejiang(September 12, 2011)

(1) When we arrived at the remote, "off the beaten path" Dafo Si (Big Buddha Temple), the first thing to greet us was a giant Buick display in front of the main gateway. This is the 65th temple I've visited on my list of 142; it's set in a mountainous area and is quite extensive. With limited time and resources, my traveling buddy Mr. Deep and I concentrated on the temple itself (impressive enough) and missed out on some of the other nearby grottoes.

Guoqing Temple, Tiantai, Zhejiang(September 13, 2011)

(1) This is our hotel on Tiantai Shan. A few minutes from today's temple (Guoqing Si), it was a bit aged, but comfy--and only 280rmb (around $40US) a night!

Fangguang Temple, Tiantai, Zhejiang(September 14, 2011)

(1) In the distant past, there were pilgrim trails leading to many temples. Even today, in modern Shenzhen, you can find markers with "Namo Amitofo" (Homage to Amitabha Buddha) quite far down on the main road leading to the biggest temple, Hong Fa Si. Still, it's a surprise and delight to see pilgrims walking. We saw some a couple of kilometers from the Fangguang Temple (just past a big bus); here they are closer to the temple, after we got out of our taxi.

Gaoming Temple, Tiantai, Zhejiang(September 15, 2011)

(1) Once again, Mr. Deep and I paid for an expensive taxi (230 renminbi, about $34US) to take us deep into the mountains. And once again, it was well worth it. Today's target was Gaoming Temple (not to be confused with one in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, with a similar name). The first thing we saw as the taxi approached was this stunning tower. We walked into its compound to see that the pool had been drained for upgrading (looks like a fountain will be installed). Too bad, as there would have been a great reflection shot! [As I reflect (heh-heh) on this in 2019, I wonder if the pool wasn't new? The building certainly was!]

Zhizhe Tayuan, Tiantai, Zhejiang(September 15, 2011)

(1) On the way back from Gaoming Temple, I knew there was a place called "Zhizhe Tayuan," a compound with a pagoda bearing the remains of Zhiyi, founder of Tiantai Buddhism, who died in front of the Great Buddha in Xinchang. We found it, asked the driver to stop, and climbed up a small hill to the compound. This pagoda sits outside the main courtyard, but I don't think it's his: The only dates I could find were "1200" and "1989." More research to do!

Jiangxin Temple, Wenzhou, Zhejiang(September 16, 2011)

(1) Today's temple, as befits its name, sits on an island in the middle of the Oujiang River. The name "Jiangxin Si" means "Heart of the River Temple," and it lies dead center between these pagodas. You can hardly make it out here...

Trip 12: Northern Fujian(October 22-29, 2011)

Nangshan Cishou Temple, Putian, Fujian

Trip 12 was the first of two trips into Fujian Province (the other would be in January of the following year), and took me to Fuzhou, Ningde, Fuqing, and Putian.

Dizang Temple, Fuzhou, Fujian(October 22, 2011)

(1) Arriving at Fuzhou Airport, I took a bus into town and a taxi straight to my first temple--even before checking in at the hotel! Dizang Temple is squeezed into an alleyway in the eastern part of the city. As I took this shot of the first hall, people were passing on bikes and on foot.

Xuefeng Chongsheng Temple,Fuzhou, Fujian(October 23, 2011)

(1) Getting there was not that fun: I got to Xuefeng by taking a bus to a bus station, and then a two-hour mini-bus ride, over half of which was on a windy mountain road. Unlike yesterday's temple, Chongsheng Si is s-p-a-c-i-o-u-s. I got off the bus right in front of a gateway, and when I stepped through, I saw this mini-lake-sized pond in front of the Mountain Gate.

Kumu An, Fuzhou, Fujian(October 23, 2011)

(1) Across the road from the main gate is Kumu An, located on the far side of this new pond with a tacky Guanyin statue.