As most things in china, the temples are usually far too big. I am not talking hey look here is a big temple, I am talking more of a forty minute walk back to the main entrance kind of big. Not that we minded. On the contrary, we were always reluctant to step back into the ‘real’ life. |
There is something extremely pleasant about asian temples, which manage to combine the proper feeling of worthlessness in a huge space with a humble approach and a decorative attitude which is more of a celebration than of the western notion of worship. |
There are dozens of temples to be seen in china, and we have not even visited the tip of the iceberg, but if you are doing your visit plans, do try and combine the different kinds of temples, the variations of the religious practice, the Buddhist, the Taoists, the confuzians, all seemingly alike yet under the surface you can see the ideas and the belief systems incorporated in the architecture, in the artwork, in the mode of practice, direction of walking, division of services, all pieces of that puzzle that has been holding on for over five thousand years. |
