EXTRA: Nan Shaolin Temple, Putian, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 25, 2013.)

This Laughing Buddha (弥勒佛) sits in the Heavenly Kings' Hall (天王殿)
at Nan Shaolin Temple (南少林寺), Putian, Fujian (福建, 莆田市).

October 29, 2011 - After visiting three temples in a day, I was planning to sleep late, write up my notes, and slowly make my way back to Fuzhou and my flight home. Alternatively, if I had the energy, I might have visited the Tian Hou/Mazu temple on a nearby island, the site of that Daoist sea-goddess's birth.

But as happened before, my friend Venerable Deru had other plans for me. He had arranged for a friend to come pick me up and take me to Nan Shaolin Temple. After he had nagged me about this for days, saying, "It's very historic," I told him that if I tried to go to every "historic" temple in China, I'd be dead before I finished!

No. 79: Guangxiao Temple, Putian, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 11, 2013.)

One of the fierce Wisdom Kings (明王) in a rear hall at Guangxiao Temple (光孝寺), Putian,
Fujian (福建, 莆田市). These esoteric (密宗) figures are especially popular in Japanese temples.

October 28, 2011 - With a little time to spare, I reached my third temple of the day, Putian's Guangxiao ("Bright Filial Piety") Temple (also known as Meifeng--"Plum Peak"--Temple).

No. 78: Guanghua Temple, Putian, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 4, 2013.)

These small Buddhas (佛) are on the side of a small pagoda (塔)
at Guanghua Temple (广化寺), Putian, Fujian (福建, 莆田市).

October 28, 2011 - It took quite a while--over an hour--to catch a taxi from the more remote Cishou Temple, but once I did, it was a relatively short ride to my second temple of the day, Guanghua Temple.

No. 77: Nangshan Cishou Temple, Putian, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 28, 2013.)

This new hall (殿) at Nangshan Cishou Temple (囊山慈寿寺) in Putian, Fujian (福建, 莆田市), shows a very
high standard of workmanship. Note the open doorways, where the doors haven't yet been installed.

October 28, 2011 - My only full day in the city of Putian, across the straits from Taiwan, would be a busy one. I hoped to see three temples in the day; but as all were located in or near the city (none were in the far-off mountains) I was pretty sure I could do it.

Following my practice of visiting the farthest temple first, I took a taxi the 15 kilometers or so north to Cishou ("Compassionate Life") Temple. The temple was beautifully situated on a mountainside, but there was a huge amount of construction going on. I'm sure by now it's magnificent, as this was two years ago today (two-and-a-half as I edit this for the website).

Trip 12: Fujian North(Fuzhou, Ningde, Fuqing, Putian)(October 22-29, 2011)

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