EXTRA: Gu Baijing Tai Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 31, 2014.)

Gu Baijing Tai (古拜经台) Temple, where the famous reincarnation of Dizang (Kshitigarbha
Bodhisattva=地藏菩萨) named Jin Qiaojue (金乔觉) meditated on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 21, 2012 - After a week on the road, I laid over two nights at home, then headed off for another 10-day trip, this one to Anhui and the Buddhist mountain called Jiuhua Shan.

No. 91: Tiantai Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 7, 2014.)

These small Buddhas (佛) are waiting to be placed in a reconstructed 10,000
Buddha Hall (万佛殿) at Tiantai Temple (天台寺) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 21, 2012 - Tourism is replete with superlatives. Sites are touted as the oldest, newest, biggest, smallest, and so on, all to attract tourist dollars.

Tiantai Peak, I learned, is not the highest on Jiuhua Shan. However, Tiantai Temple, located on the peak, is the highest temple on Jiuhua Shan. It is also the primary focus of pilgrims to this Buddhist wonderland described as being like "a thousand pearls scattered in fog."

EXTRA: The Trail Down from Tiantai Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 14, 2014.)

A newly-carved Dizang (Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva=地藏菩萨) and his freshly primed
attendants at Guanyin Feng Temple (观音峰) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 21, 2012 - It turned out that my struggle up to Tiantai Temple on Jiuhua Shan was the easy part. I had been informed (incorrectly, as it turned out) that the next temple on my list was somewhere between the top of the mountain and the bottom. Best to walk down, I thought.

No. 92: Huiju Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 21, 2014.)

The trail from the top at Tiantai Temple (天台寺) led between the two
main buildings at Huiju Temple (慧居寺) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽,
九华山), although a new hall has been built behind the one on the right.

June 21, 2012 - Of course, a temple (or any other place) usually puts its front door on the side from which cars approach.

So, having come down four or five kilometers of stairs from the top of Tiantai Peak, I was approaching Huiju Temple through the "back door." Nevertheless, what joy I felt in arriving!

No. 93: Roushen Dian, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 28, 2014.)

The Flesh Body Pagoda (肉身塔) at Roushendian (肉身殿) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山),
is said to hold the uncorrupted body of the Korean monk named Jin Qiaojue (金乔觉),
who was supposed to be the rebirth of Dizang (Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva=地藏菩萨).

June 22, 2012 - A short climb up the hill behind my hotel brought me to Roushen Hall, one of the creepier stops on my pilgrimage.

No. 94: Shangchantang Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 5, 2014.)

A ceremony was being conducted in the main (and only) hall (大雄宝殿) at Shangchantang
Temple (上禅堂) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山). I watched it for nearly two hours.

June 22, 2012 - Going down the trail from Roushen Hall, I quickly reached my next destination: Shangchan ("Upper Chan [Zen]") Hall.

No. 95: Zhantanlin Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 12, 2014.)

This elephant is a fitting symbol of the mammoth (get it?) Zhantanlin Temple.

June 23, 2012 - The previous day, I had looked at a handful of temples before returning to my hotel. This morning, I discovered that one of the ones I had seen--which the guard had said was "Dabei Lou"--was actually Zhantan Lin, my first goal for the day.

No. 96: Baisuigong Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 19, 2014.)

Baisuigong Temple (百岁宫) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山), is said to have
been home to a monk that lived to be 126! Hence the name "100 Year Palace."

June 23, 2012 - Leaving Zhantan Lin, I made my way to Baisui Gong, the "One Hundred Year Palace," another ridge-top temple. (Thank goodness for another cable car!)

No. 97: Huacheng Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 26, 2014.)

The village pond (池) stands in front of Huacheng Temple (化城寺),
said to be the first one built on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 23, 2012 - Across the road from the cable car station below Baisui Gong, there are several small plazas hemmed in by shops and temples. On the far side of one of these, across the large half-moon pond, lies Huacheng Temple, said to be the first Buddhist temple built on Jiuhua Shan.

No. 98: Zhiyuan Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 2, 2014.)

This "Jade" (玉, but perhaps plastic) image of Dizang
(Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva=地藏菩萨) sits in a rear hall at
Zhiyuan Temple (祗园寺) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 24, 2012 - I started my last day on Jiuhua Mountain by walking down to Zhiyuan Temple, located near the entry gate to the Scenic Area in which I had been staying.

No. 99: Ganlu Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 9, 2014.)

This courtyard is between the aptly-named "Old Wood Building" and the main hall
(大雄宝殿, shown) at Ganlu Temple (甘露寺) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山).

June 24, 2012 - Leaving the Jiuhua Shan Scenic Area, I took a bus halfway down the mountain to visit Ganlu ("Sweet Dew") Temple. This required checking out at the main gate, to ensure that I didn't need to buy another expensive ticket to get back to my hotel!

No. 100: Yingjiang Temple, Anqing, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 16, 2014.)

The Zhenfeng Pagoda (振风塔) is the primary attraction at
Yingjiang Temple (迎江寺) in Anqing, Anhui (安徽, 安庆市).

June 25, 2012 - The next morning, I reluctantly left Jiuhua Shan, and after a couple of bus rides, I arrived in Anqing, a former capital of Anhui province which boasts over 2,000 years of history. This would be my jumping-off point for trips into the nearby mountains, but it was also home to one of my targets, Yingjiang ("Facing the River") Temple.

No. 101: Qianyuan Temple, Qianshan County, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 23, 2014.)

This pagoda (塔) holds the remains of the Third Patriarch (三祖)
of Chan (Zen=禅) at Qingyuan Temple (乾元寺), also called Third
Patriarch's Temple (三祖寺), in Qianshan County, Anhui (安徽, 潜山县).

June 26, 2012 - To reach Sanzu Temple--the next on my list--I first had to take a bus from Anqing to the county town of Qianshan, the gateway to the spectacular Tianzhu Shan ("Pillars of Heaven") Scenic Area. From there a local bus took me to the temple at the foot of the mountain.

No. 102: Yunmen Temple, Shaoguan, Guangdong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 21, 2014.)

This statue commemorates Master Xuyun (虚云大师) at Yunmen Temple
(云门寺) in Shaoguan, Guangdong (广东, 韶关市).
It is one of the many temples he rebuilt in the 20th century.

July 23, 2012 - The morning after my arrival in Shaoguan and my short walk to Dajian Temple, I woke up early and caught a highway bus from Shaoguan's West Bus Station out to Ruyuan, an "Autonomous County" occupied by the Yao minority. From there it was a fairly short local bus ride to Yunmen ("Cloud Gate") Temple, formerly one of the most important seats of Chan (Zen) in China.

No. 103: Nanhua Temple, Shaoguan, Guangdong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 28, 2014.)

The Nine Dragon Spring (九龙泉) at Nanhua Temple (南华寺)
in Shaoguan, Guangdong (广东, 韶关市). Legend says it was
created when the Sixth Patriarch (六祖) of Chan (Zen = 禅)
tapped the ground nine times with his staff; nine dragons
flew out of the ground and the spring began to run.

July 24, 2012 - My next stop, the day after visiting Yunmen Temple, was by far the most famous Buddhist temple in southern China. Its very name, Nanhua Si, means "The Temple of South China."

No. 104: Qingyun Temple, Zhaoqing, Guangdong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 25, 2014.)

The Main Hall (大雄宝殿) at Qingyun Temple (庆云寺), Zhaoqing, Guangdong
(广东, 肇庆市), is mostly unrestored and therefore beautiful.

July 28, 2012 - Looking at the map, I often feel a certain hesitation about traveling to a remote temple. How close can I get? How far will I have to climb?

No. 105: Guiyuan Temple, Wuhan, Hubei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 8, 2014.)

The Library (经堂) at Guiyuan Temple (归元寺), Wuhan, Hubei (湖北, 武汉市), is imposing.

August 4, 2012 - With today's temple, we start another trip, one that took me through the provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Hunan.

No. 106: Baotong Temple, Wuhan, Hubei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 15, 2014.)

The ancient Hongshan Pagoda (洪山宝塔) stands on the mountain
behind Baotong Temple (宝通寺), Wuhan, Hubei (湖北, 武汉市)

August 4, 2012 - After lunch in Guiyuan Temple's vegetarian dining hall, I boarded a local bus and waved out the window as I passed Wuhan's famed Yellow Crane Tower. Originally built in 232 CE, it is now a 1985 reconstruction a kilometer away from the original site.

No. 107: Yuquan Temple, Dangyang, Hubei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 22, 2014.)

Discarded Arhats (罗汉) at Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺) in Dangyang, Hubei (湖北, 当阳市)

August 5, 2012 - The morning after visiting Guiyuan and Baotong Temples, I took a train from Wuhan to Yichang for a daytrip to Yuquan Temple. This required a bus from the train station at  Yichang back to Dangyang, and from there I hired a local driver to take me up to the temple.

No. 108: Wuzu Temple, Huangmei, Hubei

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 29, 2014.)

This is the stupa (塔) of the Fifth Patriarch (五祖) of Chan (Zen = 禅), on the
mountain behind Wuzu Temple (五祖寺), Huangmei, Hubei (湖北, 黄梅县).

August 7, 2012 - In July of 2012, I had visited most of the important sites in the life of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen). I had been to Xinxing, where he was born and died, and where his parents were buried. I went to Dajian Temple in Shaoguan, where he preached the Platform Sutra, and to Nanhua Temple near the same city, where he taught for many years, and where his effigy remained. I also had visited smaller sites rumored to have been places where he meditated. Even before that, I had been to Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou, where he had actually been ordained.