Sunday November 15th today is the blessing. We all got breakfast and were to be at the bus outside the lobby at 10:00. We went to the temple and along the way Martin was showing us sites and telling all about them. Martin is so funny. He would point out things and tell a story about it. Then when he wasn't showing us something he would talk about his family or his life experiences. We finally made it to the temple and it was beautiful and very old. Martin told us the story about the temple. The name of the temple is Six Banyan Tree Temple. Grace or Sara were wanting to carry Shelby or push her stroller. We walked around and took pictures. Martin told everyone to try to throw some change into this statue of the temple. Aunt Gigi took a few times to do it. One of the mother's kept missing and hitting people in the head on the other side of the statue. People were coming to say their prayers to the idol. They picked up a bundle of incense sticks and lit them to say the prayers to the idol. I watched them and they would bow constantly placing an incense stick down when finished with one prayer. Some of the families did it. Angela and I did not partake in this and we did not have to. Then we went into the temple. They were doing a blessing on a couple and I watched what they were doing. They kneeled and bowed 3 times and then kept there head down throughout the ceremony. Then the buddist priest waved a bundle of incense sticks over their heads. Then they bowed again 3 times and left. Then the families were asked to come a do the same. It was really interesting and the temple was beautiful. Here is the history lesson for today.
Having a long history of about 1,400 years, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). It has a rich collection of cultural-relics and is renowned both at home and abroad.
Originally built in 537, the temple has been rebuilt several times, and the name has also been changed several times from Changshou Temple (meaning Longevity Temple) to Jinghui Temple and finally the current name. It is a name given by the great litterateur Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). It is said that he visited the temple while returning to the north. During the visit, he found six banyan trees there particularly striking. The vitality of the trees put him in a good mood and cheered him up. When the abbot of the temple invited him to suggest a name, Su Dongpo wrote down its present name. Finally, the temple changed its former name (Jinghui Temple) to the name Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. A pagoda in the temple is known variously as Six Banyan Pagoda or Flowery Pagoda.
After entering by the mountain gate, the Tianwang Hall is the first hall you will see. The Laughing Buddha is there with smile all over his face to welcome visitors. Behind it is the Weituo Hall. According to legend, Weituo was a general who recaptured the Buddhist relics which had been stolen. He keeps a straight face, looking very serious and frightful, in distinct contrast with the Laughing Buddha.
The architecture that catches the visitors' eyes most is the Six Banyan Pagoda. It is a pagoda where Buddhist relics are placed. Its roofs curve upwards and look like dark red flower petals. The tip of the pagoda is like stamens, while the whole construction looks like a huge stigma high in the air. Therefore, people like to call it the Flowery Pagoda. The pagoda not only has a nice appearance, but also provides visitors a good place to overlook enchanting scenery around.
To the west of the Six Banyan Pagoda is Daxiong Baodian Hall - the main hall of the temple. The three biggest copper Buddhist statues placed there are among the biggest and most ancient Buddhist statues in Guangdong. The middle one is Sakyamuni, to the left, the Amitabha and to the right, the Apothecary Buddha. They stand for present, past and future.
Burning joss sticks is a big event when visiting the temple. Thus every year on the Chinese traditional Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, the temple becomes a busy area. Numerous people queue to burn the first joss stick in order to be blessed by gods in the coming year.
When the blessing was over we were just walking around looking at the buildings and gardens around. When a buddist nun came up and started talking to me about Shelby and more people came to say hello and to see her. I couldn't understand them so I smiled and here comes Martin and Grace. They saw that I was surrounded by all of these Chinese people. At the same time the Dang Family came over and we started talking while Martin and Grace were talking with the chinese people about Shelby. I was showing pictures of Shelby's family to the Dang family because we were talking about Glen and he said that he wished that he saw a picture of Glen. So showed him and he said he looks just like the picture he had of him in his mind. The father is to funny. Then they left and Martin and Grace stayed with me. Martin told me that the nun and the other people said that she is beautiful. He said the nun had asked this one question. How did you get baby? He told her adopted. Then she asked how much pay for her? He told her free. We payed the government fees and other fees. But we did not buy our baby. They then continued the conversation else where and Grace stayed with me. Once we left we then went to the Arts & Crafts store. This place was neat. I bought traditional and folk Chinese music. Inside these glass balls they are hand painted. I had them paint the names on the inside of the balls. Then I bought some hand painting pictures and book markers. This was a beautiful store. Then after we did that we went back to the apartment and had lunch. At 6:00pm they through a pizza party on the 4th floor. When we got there the pizza hadn't arrived yet so they had drinks and some food ready with out the pizza. They had picures pinned up from past groups. Norman and his crew came. Shelby was not feeling well. She has a cold. We brought her back up to go to bed. She slept all night long. Enjoy the pictures.
Having a long history of about 1,400 years, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). It has a rich collection of cultural-relics and is renowned both at home and abroad.
Originally built in 537, the temple has been rebuilt several times, and the name has also been changed several times from Changshou Temple (meaning Longevity Temple) to Jinghui Temple and finally the current name. It is a name given by the great litterateur Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). It is said that he visited the temple while returning to the north. During the visit, he found six banyan trees there particularly striking. The vitality of the trees put him in a good mood and cheered him up. When the abbot of the temple invited him to suggest a name, Su Dongpo wrote down its present name. Finally, the temple changed its former name (Jinghui Temple) to the name Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. A pagoda in the temple is known variously as Six Banyan Pagoda or Flowery Pagoda.
After entering by the mountain gate, the Tianwang Hall is the first hall you will see. The Laughing Buddha is there with smile all over his face to welcome visitors. Behind it is the Weituo Hall. According to legend, Weituo was a general who recaptured the Buddhist relics which had been stolen. He keeps a straight face, looking very serious and frightful, in distinct contrast with the Laughing Buddha.
The architecture that catches the visitors' eyes most is the Six Banyan Pagoda. It is a pagoda where Buddhist relics are placed. Its roofs curve upwards and look like dark red flower petals. The tip of the pagoda is like stamens, while the whole construction looks like a huge stigma high in the air. Therefore, people like to call it the Flowery Pagoda. The pagoda not only has a nice appearance, but also provides visitors a good place to overlook enchanting scenery around.
To the west of the Six Banyan Pagoda is Daxiong Baodian Hall - the main hall of the temple. The three biggest copper Buddhist statues placed there are among the biggest and most ancient Buddhist statues in Guangdong. The middle one is Sakyamuni, to the left, the Amitabha and to the right, the Apothecary Buddha. They stand for present, past and future.
Burning joss sticks is a big event when visiting the temple. Thus every year on the Chinese traditional Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, the temple becomes a busy area. Numerous people queue to burn the first joss stick in order to be blessed by gods in the coming year.
When the blessing was over we were just walking around looking at the buildings and gardens around. When a buddist nun came up and started talking to me about Shelby and more people came to say hello and to see her. I couldn't understand them so I smiled and here comes Martin and Grace. They saw that I was surrounded by all of these Chinese people. At the same time the Dang Family came over and we started talking while Martin and Grace were talking with the chinese people about Shelby. I was showing pictures of Shelby's family to the Dang family because we were talking about Glen and he said that he wished that he saw a picture of Glen. So showed him and he said he looks just like the picture he had of him in his mind. The father is to funny. Then they left and Martin and Grace stayed with me. Martin told me that the nun and the other people said that she is beautiful. He said the nun had asked this one question. How did you get baby? He told her adopted. Then she asked how much pay for her? He told her free. We payed the government fees and other fees. But we did not buy our baby. They then continued the conversation else where and Grace stayed with me. Once we left we then went to the Arts & Crafts store. This place was neat. I bought traditional and folk Chinese music. Inside these glass balls they are hand painted. I had them paint the names on the inside of the balls. Then I bought some hand painting pictures and book markers. This was a beautiful store. Then after we did that we went back to the apartment and had lunch. At 6:00pm they through a pizza party on the 4th floor. When we got there the pizza hadn't arrived yet so they had drinks and some food ready with out the pizza. They had picures pinned up from past groups. Norman and his crew came. Shelby was not feeling well. She has a cold. We brought her back up to go to bed. She slept all night long. Enjoy the pictures.
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