No. 87: Kaiyuan Temple, Chaozhou, Guangdong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 10, 2014.)

This Thousand-Armed Guanyin (千手观音) at Kaiyuan Temple (开元寺), Chaozhou,
Guangdong (广东, 潮州市), is the centerpiece of a hall filled with Guanyin (观音) images.

January 22, 2012 - From Shantou, on the very cold day before Chinese New Year I took a day trip up to beautiful Chaozhou to visit the largest Buddhist temple in the city. Kaiyuan Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty in 738 C.E. Although sources say that most of the current buildings date back 200 years or so, there was construction going on when I was there, and I suspect that soon most of the buildings will be brand new.

No. 86: Lingshan Temple, Shantou, Guangdong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 27, 2014.)

An unusual, newly-built Black Hall (黑殿) at Lingshan Temple (灵山寺), Shantou, Guangdong (广东, 汕头市).

January 21, 2012 - I took a highway bus from Xiamen to Shantou, from which I visited two major temples.

The first, Lingshan Temple in the Chaoyang District of Shantou, was much harder to reach than expected. Once in the area, I finally gave in and took a taxi--but found the proper bus information on the way out.

No. 85: Nanshan Temple, Zhangzhou, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 20, 2014.)

These Three Sages of the West (西方三圣) at Nanshan Temple (南山寺),
Zhangzhou, Fujian (福建, 漳州市), appear to be sandstone, an unusual material.

January 19, 2012 - I once again rolled out of Xiamen by train, this time heading west to Zhangzhou, the most southerly city in Fujian, and home to Nanshan (South Mountain) Temple. I took a local bus from the train station and got off not too far from the large gateway leading into the temple.

No. 84: Longshan Temple, Jinjiang, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 6, 2014.)

This Spirit Door at Longshan Temple (龙山寺), Jinjiang, Fujian
(福建, 晋江市), hints at the current building's Taoist (道教的) origins.

January 18, 2012 - On the way back from central Quanzhou to Xiamen, I left the train at the county town of Jinjiang. It was about 14 kilometers from the then-new train station on the high-speed line into the center of town. I didn't need to go that far, though; Longshan Temple, my destination, was less than 10 km.

No. 83: Kaiyuan Temple, Quanzhou, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 30, 2013.)

The Renshou Pagoda (仁寿塔) at Kaiyuan Temple (开元寺), Quanzhou, Fujian
(福建, 泉州市), is one of two pagodas on the grounds, built in the 13th century.

January 18, 2012 - I took the then-new high-speed rail from Xiamen to Quanzhou, home of Kaiyuan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Fujian.

No. 82: Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 23, 2013.)

Nanputuo Temple (南普陀寺), Xiamen, Fujian (福建, 厦门市) marches majestically
up the Wulao Peaks (五老峰). It dates to the Tang Dynasty (唐朝).

January 17, 2012 - My next trip started in Xiamen and took me down to eastern Guangdong. On the day of my arrival, I dropped my bags in a hotel in central Xiamen and took a local bus to Nanputuo Temple, near the modern Xiamen University.

Trip 14: Fujian to Guangdong(January 17-22, 2012)

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