Thursday, 1 January 2004, Temple 1—Outside The Temple
The next morning a group of us took a walk around the Nanputuo Temple, said to be the richest Buddhist temple in all of China. If you ever go to Xiamen and someone invites you the Nanputuo Temple, don't make the mistake I almost did and ask where the "Number One" temple is. (!) You will be big-time embarrassed. But I caught myself in time, so all was well.
The main gate to the temple.
Jiangjun, Suqing, and Suqing's friend Lin Weiyin (Regina) enjoy the Pool for Freeing Fish. The idea is that Buddhists buy fish that would otherwise be eaten and release them into this pond, thereby saving their lives. But, as Dr. Bill Brown points out in his classis book Amoy Magic, the population of fish here holds steady even though Buddhists are continually restocking the pond. So who is taking them out as fast as people are putting them in?
Gao Zhongyong and Wang Jiangjun.
Gao Zhongyong and Xu Suqing.
Good friends Suqing and Weiyin.
The real entrance to the temple is in the background.
The girls looking with delight at Jiangjun's digital camera.
There is where you buy the tickets to the Nangputuo Temple.