No. 64: Zhanshan Temple, Qingdao, Shandong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 15, 2013.)

The delicate Drum Tower (鼓楼) at Zhanshan Temple (湛山寺), Qingdao, Shandong (山东, 青岛市)

August 31, 2011 - Getting from Shijiazhuang to Qingdao proved to be more difficult than I had imagined. I was forced to lay over one night in Beijing, forfeiting the room I had booked in Qingdao.

So instead of a leisurely night in that beautiful seaside town, I arrived by train around 12:30, and had a four o'clock flight back to Shenzhen! This allowed only a one-hour visit to the temple, followed by a frantic ride to the airport.

No. 63: The Pagodas of Zhengding, Hebei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 8, 2013.)

This pagoda (塔) at Linji Temple (临济寺), Zhengding, Hebei (河北, 正定县), holds
the remains of Linji (临济), founder of the Linji sect (临济宗) of Chan (=Zen, 禅).

August 30, 2011 - I took an expensive taxi the 20 kilometers from Shijiazhuang to Zhengding. With city walls dating back to 352 A.D., Zhengding had been an important religious and administrative center for over a thousand years.

EXTRA: A Walk in Chengde, Hebei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 1, 2013.)

The Mountain Gate (山门) at Shuxiang Temple (殊像寺), Chengde, Hebei (河北, 承德市). The temple is
closed to the public, but it's part of a pleasant stroll among the outer temples (外八庙) of Chengde.

August 29, 2011 - The day after visiting Puning Temple, I took an easy walk past some of Chengde's outer temples.

No. 62: Puning Temple (and neighbors), Chengde, Hebei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 24, 2013.)

The so-called Mahayana Hall (大乘之阁) at Puning Temple (普宁寺), Chengde,
Hebei (河北, 承德市), houses a colossal 22-meter-tall statue of Guanyin (观音).

August 28, 2011 - I will skip over the "joys" of a 13-hour train ride in the hard seats--not a sleeper--and start with my arrival in the glorious mountain city of Chengde in Hebei. Fortunately, my hotel (located in the temple I wanted to see) let me check in upon my 6 a.m. arrival, so I got some real sleep before heading out to see the temple itself.

No. 61+: Ci'en and Dafo Temples, Shenyang, Liaoning

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 17, 2013.)

A fine antique-looking set of arhats (罗汉) graces the Main Hall
(大雄宝殿) at Ci'en Temple (慈恩寺), Shenyang, Liaoning (辽宁, 沈阳市).

August 27, 2011 - Leaving Shenyang's Banruo Temple, I walked up the side of the property and, after a few wrong turns, found my next destination: Ci'en ("Compassion") Temple, the 60th I would visit from my list.

No. 60: Banruo Temple, Shenyang, Liaoning

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 10, 2013.)

Worshippers in front of the Main Hall (大雄宝殿) at Banruo Temple (般若寺), Shenyang, Liaoning (辽宁, 沈阳市)

August 27, 2011 - I arrived in my Shenyang hotel after midnight, so I slept in a bit the next morning, then spent a while trying to find an alternative to that night's sleeper train to Chengde. No luck.

All of this caused me to arrive at my first (of three!) temples, another Banruo ("Prajna," or Wisdom) Temple, at nearly noon.

No. 59: Guanyin Gucha, Jilin, Jilin

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 3, 2013.)

The figures on the ridges of most Chinese temples vary more than
these at Guanyin Gucha (观音古刹) in Jilin City, Jilin (吉林, 吉林市).

August 26, 2011 - From Changchun, I took a fast train on a branch off of the main north/south line to Jilin City. I wouldn't be staying there; after a quick visit, I'd be back on another train.

The ancient Guanyin Gucha is quite small, and seems to be seldom visited. That day, volunteers were cleaning out the sutra repository (scripture library), and using large kettles to burn unwanted papers, such as old posters and pamphlets. I wish I could have taken some away!

No. 57 & 58: Dizang and Banruo Temples, Changchun, Jilin

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 27, 2013.)

The small Dizang Temple (地藏寺) in Changchun, Jilin (吉林, 长春市), was under
construction when I visited (and there wouldn't have been much to see even if
it were complete!) Anyway, this bell hanging in the driveway was attractive.

August 25, 2011 - After my brief visit to Haerbin, a southbound train took me to Changchun. The capital city of Jilin province is home to two temples on my list, one very small and one fairly large.

Little Dizang Temple, named for Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, is so small that the staff of the hotel where I stayed just a few blocks away didn't even know of its existence.

No. 56: Jile Temple, Haerbin, Heilongjiang

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 20, 2013.)

The Mountain Gate (山门) at Jile Temple (极乐寺) in Haerbin, Heilongjiang
(黑龙江, 哈尔滨市) faces a busy walking street near an amusement park.

August 25, 2011 - The northeastern Chinese city of Haerbin was developed from a small village in 1898, making it young by the standards of China's cities. It was an administrative center for a Russian railway running from Moscow to Vladivostok, with a southern branch originating at Haerbin and leading to Dalian. The city still has a decidedly Russian flavor.

It wasn't until 1922 that Master Tanxu--who is also commemorated at Dabei Temple in Tianjin--arrived to found what is considered the first Buddhist temple in Haerbin.

Trip 10: Dongbei, Hebei, and Qingdao (August 24-31, 2011)

This is a record of my tenth trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.