Big Buddha in Ningbo
Yes this is another post featuring a big Buddha but this time it’s in a city you’ve probably never heard of.
Ningbo is a seaport city of around 2 million people facing the East China sea, not far from Shanghai. The city is primarily oriented around trade and while it isn’t particularly famous it did have one interesting brush with history when during World War II the Japan bombed the city with fleas carrying the bubonic plague. From this (and many other atrocities) you can get an idea why China still has such a deep hatred for their easterly neighbors.
I visited for a little over a day at the end of my previous trip around Jiangnan province and was pleasantly surprised to find clean and modern city, quite different from most other middle-tier Chinese cities. After being treated to a sumptuous lunch I was taken to a brand new temple about half an hour outside the city center. Clearly the economic troubles were having little effect here as the temple had one of the biggest bronze Buddhas I had ever seen sitting atop the hillside.
After this we paid a visit to the ancestral home of Chiang Kai-Shek nearby who was the Nationalist leader of China before the uprising of the Communist party (whom he had attempted to eradicate after the Japanese surrender in WWII). Surprisingly Chinese sentiments towards him are quite good (at least the people I spoke to) and the museum paints a fair picture of his life without any demonization you might expect. He died in Taipei in 1975.
In the evening we went for dinner in a restaurant near the port district. I have discussed at length in the past about my hatred for seafood but somehow everywhere I go people always want me to taste the local marine wildlife. Whilst most of the dinner was delicious this time I got to try “hairy crabs” which believe me are as unappealing as they sound. I really cannot fathom what makes people want to crack open these Alien facehugger-esq creatures and suck out their “tasty” flesh. For future reference this is how it makes me feel to eat one of these:
Whilst Ningbo was a great day trip please people, no more seafood!
Ngong Ping 360
One of the highlights on my previous weekend in Hong Kong was taking the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up Lantau Island (from Tung Chung). It nearly didn’t happen due to a thunderstorm which shut things down for about half an hour but on the plus side did shorten the queues considerably!
The 5.7km journey takes about 25 minues offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and airport (which was built on reclaimed land). It’s a bit pricy, starting at 96 HKD for a standard cabin and 157 HKD for a crystal cabin (one with a glass floor) – even more on “special days”. We choose the latter, primarily because the queue was much shorter and we were on a tight schedule.
Don’t look down now – floating on about an inch of hardened glass. In 2007 a cabin fell off and crashed into the mountainside. Luckily it was during a test run and nobody was hurt but subsequently the operator and brand name were changed…
If you’re afraid of heights or flying then this might be something you want to avoid but otherwise it’s an exhilarating ride and an impressive feat of engineering. After reaching the top you arrive at the Ngong Ping Village which is a ‘cultural attraction’ of sorts but doesn’t hold much interest as an unauthentic re-creation aimed squarely at tourists.
One thing which is worth taking a closer look at is the giant bronze Tian Tan Buddha which sits next to Po Lin Monastery nearby (built 1993). At 34 meters tall and weighing 250 tonnes it certainly makes an impression on the surrounding landscape. When we first arrived it was shrouded in mist but after climbing the 260 steps to the top things began to clear up providing a beautiful vista over the other small islands below.
Descending by the same way we had come up I was able to shoot a short video to give you a feel for the sort of dizzying heights we’re talking about (luckily the weather had cleared up at this point):
Well worth the visit if the skies are clear and you have a few of hours to spare (be warned the queues can get very long either end).
Nanputuo Temple
On the second enjoyably hot and sunny morning in Xiamen I visited Nanputuo Temple (“nan” meaning south) situated at the foot of Wulaofeng (Mountain of Five Old Men) facing the sea. It’s one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China, founded in the Tang Dynasty, with over 1000 years history containing three main halls and one pavilion (some being more recent additions).
Outside the temple is an equally beautiful lotus pond which at this time year was covered in water lilies and teeming with various fish and more than a few turtles. The temple and its grounds were also unfortunately swarming with people who evidently had had the same idea of how to enjoy the nice day but nevertheless there was still room to enjoy it all. With an entrance fee of only 3 RMB it’s very cheap.
The temple is home to over 100 monks who live and study here. They only eat vegetarian food and apparently get up at 4.30am each morning to chant which is supposed to purify their minds. You’ll notice that whenever I visit temples I never take any photos inside of the halls which usually contain statues of Buddha which you are forbidden to photograph. Buddhists believe that Buddha is one who has attained enlightenment (Nirvana) thereby escaping the cycle of suffering and rebirth.
Above is a wooden carving of a fish with a dragons head, hence being called a “dragon fish”. I’m not sure if it has any other meaning but looks cool!
As you walk through the temple you are also ascending the mountainside and can see many characters carved into the rocks painted a deep red. In the garden area we brought some very delicious cakes which are a local delicacy made with a green bean filling to give a sweet taste.
It only takes about half an hour to view the whole temple, more if you want to climb to the top of the mountain, and is right next to Xiamen University which is also worth a look.
Cheongpyeongsa Temple
After arriving on the northern shore of Lake Soyang we walked through a ramshackle village in semi-hibernation (presumably closed for the winter season) and followed the winding track up the mountain side beside a small stream through a forest of pines and maples. The mountain had a somewhat eery and desolate feeling to it, probably due to the depressing weather, but after about 30 minutes of walking we reached our destination – Cheongpyeongsa Temple.
Built in the Goryeo Dynasty (10th century) the temple is one of the most popular in the country having survived the ravages of the Korean War and we were lucky to have the place almost to ourselves – all the monks must have been off meditating somewhere! Wandering amongst the snow covered pavilions you could almost picture what this place must have been like before it became a tourist attraction.
I particularly liked the brightly coloured lanterns hanging from the ceiling near the entrance which gently swayed in the silent breeze in an almost ghostly fashion. As with most temples I am always amazed by the intense attention to detail that every aspect of the craftsmanship exudes, something which is sadly lost in most modern architecture. There isn’t a huge amount more to say about the temple (unless you have an interest in Buddhism) so I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking…
You might have thought that I’d be bored of temples after the number I’ve seen over the past few years but they still hold a strong mystical quality which always fascinates me and you can be sure there are a few left in this episode 
Jogyesa Temple
Jogyesa is a small but important temple in the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism – located in the heart of Seoul it seems strangely out of place surrounded by high-rise offices but offers a quiet haven in the mist of the bustling city. On a rather overcast Thursday morning I paid it a short visit…
Built in 1910 it is famous for its colorful paintings of the Buddha’s life and teachings as well as the 500 year-old white pine tree which stands proudly outside (purportedly brought over from China). The temple is in active use and at the time I visited gentle chanting could be heard eminating from the main hall with many followers coming and going through the large lattice doors making for a different atmosphere to the temples found in the mountains.
Once a year in May the temple holds an impressive lotus lantern festival to mark Buddha’s birthday which would be well worth seeing if you’re in the vicinity at that time.