More Sights to See...

Hello Again!

Yes, we've got more for you! And some great pictures to add as well. Let me pick up where I last left off… Here are a few more places that we visited over our holiday break.

Fuzi Miao and Confucius Temple! One of the coolest places in Nanjing. It's pronounced "Foots Meow," in case anyone was wondering. That is how I remember how to say it. Confucius Temple used to be an actual temple dating back to 1034 AD but has since turned into a huge market that mixes both modern and ancient Chinese culture. We went shopping there during the day as well as went there at night to see the light show. You can actually ride these really cool boats that have Chinese lanterns hanging from them. It's Venice's gondola equivalent with a little bit of a Vegas flare to it. It's so cool at night! Thomas took some really awesome night pictures so you should definitely check those out.

We also went to Mochou Lake to see Maiden Mochou or the Lady of the Lake. The story says that Maiden Mochou was very much in love with a young warrior. One day her lover left to fight and never returned. They say she cried so hard for so long that she eventually turned into the lake that exists today. Her name means "Without Sorrow" (ironically enough) because it was said that her voice was so beautiful that it could banish all sadness- except her own apparently. This is a beautiful place to spend the afternoon. The best part was the lotus flowers that were floating everywhere. Once they bloom they are supposed to smell wonderful, so we will have to go back soon!

The last visit we made was to one of the biggest Buddhist seminaries in China called Qixia Shan. This temple dates back to 483 AD and houses the thousand Buddha cliffs. This cliff has over 500 Buddha’s carved in the side of it. It is extremely cool to see. This temple is a part of the purple mountain but you have to pay a different fee to get in. They have wonderful hiking trails and several scenic pavilions to stop at. The temple itself was the most impressive temple we've seen yet. We were there during the monk’s early evening prayer ceremony. They were burning incense, singing, chanting, playing the drums and other various instruments, all while walking around the big golden Buddha in the middle of the room in a circle. It was really cool to see. This Buddha was HUGE!! And the temple was so peaceful. It was one of our favorite places to visit yet.

That is all the stories I have for you today… We have more to share but we have been busy with school. We’ll write again soon!