The ancient five-arched bridge and the Xumi Fushou Temple in the Qings' Chengde Mountain Resort, Hebei, were built in 1780 to celebrate the 70th birthday of the great Buddhist patron Emperor Qianlong. Xumi is a transliteration of Mount Sumeru's name; Fushou means "long happy life." The Sixth Panchen Lama stayed there when he came to congratulate the emperor on his birthday.
Posted to Reddit et al, June 14, 2025
Inside this delicate pavilion at Caotang Temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi, is a small pagoda which holds a relic said to be the tongue of Kumarajiva (344–413). Born in the Kingdom of Kucha (now part of Western Xinjiang, China), Kumarajiva is considered one of Chinese Buddhism's greatest Sanskrit-to-Chinese translators.
Posted to Reddit et al, June 13, 2025
The Main Hall at Qiyun Temple, Fu'an, Fujian, where my friend Venerable Deru lives. He drove me to Huayan Temple on Zhiti Mountain in Ningde and to a half-dozen temples in Fu'an, including this one. I didn't get to see the interior of the hall as the evening service was in progress.
Posted to Reddit et al, June 12, 2025
Colossal Vairochana Buddha at Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan. It's said that this is the face of Wu Zetian, the empress who paid for much of the carving. The image, sometimes called the "Chinese Mona Lisa," was carved in 676. Just the ears are two meters long!
Posted to Reddit et al, June 11, 2025
This altar at Fozu Temple, Shenzhen, Guangdong, is transitioning from Daoist to Buddhist; three Buddha statues sit in front of a Daoist figure. This temple sits right outside the gate of the school where I taught, and I could always tell when it was new or full moon by looking at their parking lot.
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 10, 2025
This carving is in native rock inside the main hall at Chaoyang Nunnery on Jiuhuashan, Anhui. "华佛普照" might be read something like, "The splendid Buddha shines everywhere." The second character is unusual; the phrase is more often seen as "华光普照," perhaps "Splendid Light Shines Everywhere."
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 9, 2025
A large elephant statue at Zhantanlin Temple on Jiuhuashan, Anhui. In the Buddhist context elephants may symbolize strength, patience, loyalty and wisdom. The Buddha's mother dreamed of a white elephant before his birth; and he tamed the wild elephant Nalagiri, set on him by his cousin Devadatta.
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 8, 2025
The Nine Dragon Spring at Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan, Guangdong. Legend says it was created when Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen), tapped the ground nine times with his staff; nine dragons (like the nine that bathed the newborn Shakyamuni) flew out of the ground and the spring began to run.
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 7, 2025
Hongshan Pagoda (completed in 1291) on the mountain behind Baotong Temple, Wuhan, Hubei, was built in memory of the Tang Dynasty Chan Master Ciren Lingji, founding monk of the temple and a direct disciple of the great Master Mazu Daoyi. Legend says Ciren could call down rain in times of drought.
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 6, 2025
This manly old man seated on a banana leaf is typical of the unusual set of Arhats at Fuyan Temple, Nanyue, Hunan. Vanavasin (or Vanavasa) is called Bajiao Luohan in Chinese, the "Banana Arhat." Some say he was born under a banana tree; others that, in a homely imitation of the Buddha, he achieved enlightenment under one.
Posted to Reddit and Bluesky, June 5, 2025
