My ticket is booked, I'm going home March 19:th, just in time for NohRooz :-)
Last weekend I spent in Hangzhou, a town located 2 hours by train from Shanghai. Hangzhou used to be the capital of China (one of seven cities that have been capitals) and the Italian explorer Marco Polo called the city one of the most beautiful in the world.
What attracts people to Hangzhou today is mainly the West Lake, and the Lingyin temple (also known as the Temple of the Soul's Retreat). Lingyin is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist tempels in China.
Chinese people are very supersticious. It is important for them to follow tradition and they simply have to do certain things on certain days. For example if you are about to marry you better consult a website (or a "wise man") and calculate which date will be best - otherwise it might be an unhappy marriage.
On new years day it is highly recommended to visit the temple to pray for good fortune the coming year. And since Lingying is the largest and wealthiest, you'd better go there. New years day the entrance fee was said to be more than 200 RMB. Quite a lot of money for a Chinese.
On an ordinary weekend the fee is 30 RMB. But if you are a registered Buddhist you don't have to pay the fee, and you will even get the incense sticks for free. Selling incense sticks by the way, must be good business because even though three is a holy number and you are advised to burn three sticks, people seem to think "the more the better". Not taking much notice of the signs saying "Your piety to Buddha is more worth than burning incense sticks".
2 comments:
Hi Nyx! Good story. Glad hear you're coming home. Have you learned Chinese too?
Nyx, I hope you will have a wonderful trip home for NohRooz. :)
I checked out the Lingyin Temple. I was very surprised to learn that Buddhist temples in China have been protected throughout China's communist era. I am very familiar with what the Chinese have done to Tibet. So, I have always thought that Buddhism in China was also severely repressed.
I heard recently that the Chinese government was encouraging the teaching of Confusionism in schools because that ancient philosophy stresses respect for the established authority. Is the government there now allowing people to freely worship at Buddhist temples also? The Lingyin link and your post seem to suggest that.
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