Thursday, April 7,2011
As I wandered around I found a way into the Temple. I stood around for a few minutes waiting for someone to come back to the ticket office, then I purchased my ticket for CNY 60 and entered the compound. There were no brochures or maps. I later realized I entered through a back gate of a sort, hence the lack of touristy info. Just inside the entrance was this huge bell. I am guessing it was used to call people to Temple.
The first thing I really saw and smelled were giant incense sticks. I had never seen any of that size and the smell permeated the air. Large open space surrounded with open buildings. To enter the structures you step over a threshold that is about 12-14” high and 2” wide. This is true in many of the building in the alleys as well. Some are lower and others are higher and require a rock step to get over it. Inside the first structure are 3 large glassed boxed areas, each housing a giant statue. These statues were erected in 1672. The figures are famous from the time of the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Bei (161 -223 AD) was known for his benevolence to his people. Here is a link to read more about him.
Liu Bei, better known as Xuan De, was born in Zhuo County in Hebei Province. His ancestor was Liu Sheng, son of Emperor Jing in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). Judging by Liu Bei's position in the family hierarchy, he was the last emperor of Eastern Han (25 - 220) - Emperor Xian's uncle. He founded the Kingdom of Shu and was regarded as a great statesman and strategist in the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280).
Zhang Fei (? – 221 AD) was known for his loyalty and bravery on the battlefield. Zhang Fei, born in Zhuoxian of Zhuojun (present Zhuozhou of Hebei Province), was a key general of the Shu state during the Three Kingdoms Period.
When he was young, Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei together with Guan Yu, and used to fight against Lv Bu with the former two at the Hulao Pass. At the Dangyang Bridge of Changbanpo, Zhang Fei retreated Cao Cao's five thousand cavalrymen by a single snarl. After Liu Bei ascended the throne, Zhang Fei was granted as General of the Right; and when Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, Zhang Fei assumed the position "chariot and horse general" and was conferred as "Marquis of Xixiang". In 221 A.D., to avenge the death of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Liu Bei launched a war against Wu. But before he set out, Zhang Fei was murdered by his subordinates Fan Jiang and Zhang Da at an age of 55.
Zhang Fei was not only bold and powerful, but also had a beautiful handwriting and was good at drawing beauties. Some of his calligraphic works and paintings have been handed down until now.
Guan Yu (?-220AD) was honored as a military saint and martial-looking God of Wealth. Because of the advocacy of emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the status of Guan Yu was eminently high. He not only became the god worshipped by the general public, but also was included in the national sacrificial ceremony. Credited as "Military King" and "Military Sage", Guan Yu has gained equal status with the master of Chinese culture, Confucius, who is respected as "Civil King" and "Civil Sage". Guan Yu has been deemed to have "omnipotent power", and was regarded as the founder or god of 22 trades, including swordsmen, army men, fortune-telling, pawning and finance, etc.
Remember in one of my earlier writings I told you about this statue that was left in the apartment when we moved in and we were afraid to remove him for fear of some kind of bad luck coming down on us. Well… we are really glad because the statue is none other than Guan Yu. He is said to bring good luck and fortune... best not test this and just leave him be… although neither of us is superstitious.
These are just the beginning of all the statues that are preserved in this compound. The statues, all erected between the time of 1672 to 1911, stand proudly in glass cases around the compound. Also present everywhere are relics from ancient times… really ancient times. There are some that were dated 206 BC. These were writings, carvings in stone, and moldings. It is a very spiritual experience to be in the presence of things that existed so long ago in the time before and around the time of Christ. It is a bit surreal.
Figure 5 Carvings of Liu Bei and the 2 generals
There are Ming tablets from 1547AD and other Chinese script on walls and stones and some are encased in glass. And the gardens are magnificent. There are stone corridors that only go in a big circle… this I know because I walked a few of them before I realized what was happening!
Figure 6 Ming Tablet
But you never know what might be around the corner so you push on. And on one of those occasions, I happened onto the most gorgeous bonsai gardens. It was like out of a book. The peace and tranquility of this space was like none I had experienced before. There were Chinese people in meditation here and some doing a kind of ritual dance. The bonsai were in pots and up on rocks and ledges… off the ground one after another of every size and shape. Small pagoda’s dotted the area for one to sit and contemplate life. It was a sight to behold. I can see why one would come to this garden to sit and meditate…
I toured a small museum… of a sorts. It was clearly not as cared for as your typical museum. The carpets in the displays were old and faded with lots of dust. It was actually a bit sad to think about items from the BC’s were not taken as care of as one would think. And right outside this museum… Liu Bei himself… kinda. His remains were in an above ground crypt… or a big stone box. This little statue with horns dates to 206 BC
After walking for what seemed hours in the temple compound, I exited out and continued to explore the Jinli Street area. Got myself a Starbuck’s and sipped my way through the maze to a cute little pond and a quiet bench. I watched the black swans for a little while as they played and splashed. It was like they knew we were watching them. I finished my coffee and wandered a little more, thinking I would surely come to something my grandkids would like. But instead I found a Dairy Queen and purchased an ice cream cone for myself.
I am still surprised by some of the habits I see here. As I contemplated my next move, I noticed a sign describing the behavior for visiting the street. It describes a multitude of do’s and don’t’s. I took a picture to capture it when Michael and I came back on Saturday.
The other thing that gets me is the children go potty where ever they are. I am standing by the entrance to the alley way and right there, a little girl pulls down her pants to go potty. Her Mother grabbed her up and moved her to a spot closer to the wall and helped her. This seems to be no big deal to anyone. She must be in training for those ‘squat pots’!
Continued in - Chengdu – Wide and Narrow Alleys (Part3)
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