CHENGDE and its Temples and back to Beijing duck!
THIS MORNING ,RARING TO GO,WE ARE GOING TO VISIT A MAGNIFICENT BUDHIST TEMPLE COMPLEX,PART OF THE EIGHT OUTER TEMPLES OF CHENGDE.THESE TEMPLES WERE BUILT IN THE 18TH CENTURY UNDER THE EMPERORS KANGXI AND QIANLONG.THEY SYMBOLIZE THE NATIONAL UNIFICATION OF THE VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS UNDER THE CENTRAL AUTORITY OR AS WE ARE SAID,THE FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS NATIONALITIES IN THE COUNTRY...THE EIGHT OUTER TEMPLES (FORMERLY 12) WERE BUILT IN THE SHAPE OF NUMEROUS STARS SURROUNDING THE MOON IN A COMBINATION OF HAN,TIBETAN AND MONGOLIAN ARCHITECTURE.
WE SAW FIRST THE PUNING SI OR TEMPLE OF UNIVERSAL PEACE,MODELED AFTER THE SAMYE MONASTERY ,THE SACRED LAMAIST SITE IN TIBET.FEATURING VARIOUS HALLS INCLUDING THE GATE HALL,BELL AND DRUM TOWERS,HALL OF HEAVENLY KINGS .
THE PUTUOZONGCHENG TEMPLE LOCATED ALONG A NATURAL HILLOCK,THIS BUDHIST TEMPLE COMPLEX WAS BUILT UNDER THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR QUIANLONG FOR CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY;IT IS A REPLICA OF THE GREAT POTALA MONASTERY IN LHASA AND OFTEN NICKNAMED "THE LITTLE POTALA".THE MAIN ARCHITECTURE IS THE GREAT RED PLATFORM STANDING AT THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN SLOPE ON WHICH THERE ARE 3 HALLS.THE MAIN HALL IS THE WANFAGUIYI HALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATFORM WITH A GOLDEN ROOF ON ITS TOP.
THESE CHENGDE'S BUDHIST TEMPLES WERE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CHINESE TRIP(BUT THEY WERE MANY OF THEM!) AND I DEPLORE THE LACK OF FOREIGN TOURISTS THERE.
AFTER THIS FANTASTIC VISIT,WE DROVE BACK BEIJING TO ENJOY THE BEIJING DUCK,ROASTED DIRECTLY OVER FLAMES AND SERVED IN THIN PIECES OF DUCK MEAT WITH A CRISP SKIN AND A SPECIAL SAUCE.
