This is a record of my eighteenth trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.
Showing posts with label Trip 18. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trip 18. Show all posts
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.
No. 109: Nengren Temple, Jiujiang, Jiangxi
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 13, 2014.)
 |
| The Stone Boat at Nengren Temple (能仁寺) in Jiujiang, Jiangxi (江西, 九江市), is said once to have carried a celestial being down the Yangtze from the West. |
August 8, 2012 - One of my favorite things about visiting temples is seeing objects with stories attached. Nengren (perhaps "Benevolence") Temple in Jiujiang had several that made my visit more illuminating. I had first read about these in Carl F. Kupfer's Sacred Places in China (1911).
No. 110: Donglin Temple, Jiujiang, Jiangxi
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 20, 2014.)
 |
| This Amitabha Buddha (弥陀佛) is one of numerous new statues at Donglin Temple (东林寺), Jiujiang, Jiangxi (江西, 九江市). |
August 8, 2012 - Although Donglin Temple's address is in Jiujiang, it lies around 20 kilometers from the city center. Fortunately there was local transport available to the gate, and I rushed out there in mid-afternoon after visiting Nengren Temple.
EXTRA: Youmin Temple, Nanchang, Jiangxi
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 27, 2014.)
 |
| Courtyard (院) at Youmin Temple (佑民寺) in Nanchang, Jiangxi (江西, 南昌市), the final home of Mazu Daoyi (马祖道一) |
August 9, 2012 - No temples from my list were located in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province; but it was a good staging point for trips to two more remote temples: Zhenru, which I visited the next day, and Jingju, where I went the day after. Besides, there was a temple of historical significance located there.
No. 111: Zhenru Temple, Jiujiang, Jiangxi
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 3, 2014.)
 |
| This memorial to Master Xuyun (虚云大师) is located next to Zhenru Temple (真如寺), Yongxiu (Jiujiang), Jiangxi (江西, 九江市永修县), where he passed away. |
August 10, 2012 - Using my new "base" in Nanchang, where I stopped in at Youmin Temple, I visited two more remote temples over the next two days. First, I took a train to rural Yongxiu, and a long bus from there to the base of Yunju (Cloud Residence) Mountain. A local driver took me another 10 or 15 kilometers up a windy mountain road to Zhenru ("True Suchness") Temple.
No. 112: Jingju Temple, Ji'an, Jiangxi
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 10, 2014.)
 |
| This stone lion (石狮) looked amazing in "golden hour" light at Jingju Temple (净居寺), Ji'an, Jiangxi (江西, 吉安市青原山). |
August 11, 2012 - My next temple was not remote, like Zhenru had been, but it was far from my base, and required quite a journey--complicated by a late start. After 4-1/2 hours by bus, I arrived at the temple at 5 pm--and it had closed at 4! However, I talked my way in and was able to spend some time inside and around the compound.
No. 113: Kaifu Temple, Changsha, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 17, 2014.)
 |
| Another form of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, this Thousand-Armed Guanyin (千手观音) is at Kaifu Temple (开福寺), Changsha, Hunan (湖南. 长沙市). |
August 12, 2012 - Having moved my base to Changsha, I visited Kaifu Temple, formerly the site of a king's palace. Ma Yin declared himself King of Chu far back in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which followed the glorious Tang Dynasty.
No. 114: Lushan Temple, Changsha, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 24, 2014.)
 |
| The ornate main gate (大门) at Lushan Temple (麓山寺) in Changsha, Hunan (湖南. 长沙市) |
August 13, 2012 - Reaching my next temple was a different kind of challenge. It wasn’t remote, like Zhenru, or far away, like Jingju. I just couldn't find it!
No. 115: Shangfeng Temple, Nanyue, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 1, 2014.)
 |
| This relief in a side hall features some of the 18 Arhats (罗汉) at Shangfeng Temple (上封寺), Nanyue, Hunan (湖南, 南岳) |
August 14, 2012 - My next destination was the charming town of Nanyue in Hunan, at the foot of Mount Heng. This is one of the "Five Great Mountains of China," along with another Mount Heng (different Chinese character) in Shanxi in the north; Mount Tai (east); Mount Hua (west); and Mount Song (center). Because of its position in the south, Mount Heng is called Nanyue ("South peak"), as is the town. (Last week's temple on Yue Lu Mountain lies at the north end of the same range.)
No. 116: Nantai Temple, Nanyue, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 8, 2014.)
 |
| Three different jade Buddhas (玉佛) grace the main altar at Nantai Temple (南台寺), Nanyue, Hunan (湖南, 南岳). |
August 14, 2012 - After my disappointing visit to Shangfeng Temple on Hengshan Mountain, I needed a win.
No. 117: Fuyan Temple, Nanyue, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 15, 2014.)
 |
| This manly Arhat (罗汉) is typical of the very unusual set at Fuyan Temple (福严寺), Nanyue, Hunan (湖南, 南岳). |
August 14, 2012 - Today we'll look at the third and last of the temples I visited on sacred Hengshan Mountain, the southernmost of China's "Five Great Mountains"--but not the last in Nanyue Town.
No. 118: Zhusheng Temple, Nanyue, Hunan
(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 22, 2014.)
 |
| Rather than as statuary, the 500 arhats (五百罗汉) at Zhusheng Temple (祝圣寺), Nanyue, Hunan (湖南, 南岳), are displayed on 250 plaques, two to a plaque. Not unique, but unusual. |
August 15, 2012 - The next temple I visited was the 15th and last key temple on this nearly-two week trip.