New Year's Eve on a sacred Buddhist Mountain



Top of the cliff looking across Buddha's head.  Raging rivers below.

Mark and the kids got here the day after Christmas.  I spent a few days finishing up grading and then we all headed south for a two-hour ride in a deluxe bus to see the Giant Buddha of Leshan.  This Buddha is now the tallest one in the world measuring 71 meters tall.  He was carved into the side of a cliff in AD 713 under the supervision of a monk who hoped the giant Buddha would calm the swift currents at the base of the cliff where 3 rivers merged.  It worked!  After 90 years of construction, the enormous amounts of rock and silt that were discarded by the sculptors filled in the hollows in the river and literally slowed down the churning water. 

Still giddy as we had not spent the night yet.

We hiked up the mountain and stopped at various Buddhist shrines before paying homage to the big guy himself.  After that, the 8 of us (my sister and family, too) crammed into a mini-van where we traveled another 45 minutes to Emei Shan which is one of the 4 sacred Buddhist Mountains in China. 

We hiked up about 4 kms to a Monastery to spend New Year's Eve.  A lot of the trail was just sets of winding steep stairs that were carved into the cliffs.  The trail followed a rushing river with ferns, cedar trees, and other lush jungle-like plants.  It was one of the most breathtaking hikes I've ever had.  Along the way there were tiny temples and small tables covered by tents where the locals served hot tea, soup, and snacks.  We passed through a monkey zone where monkeys were poised to pickpocket unsuspecting tourists. 

Hey hey we're the monkeys.  We're just monkeying around.

I love the cheerful fat Buddhas.

We finally made it to the Venerable Trees Terrace Monastery,  We spent the afternoon playing cards, reading, and huddling around a heater that was in the policeman's quarters in the Monastery.  None of us were sure if we were supposed to be there given that nobody spoke English and my Chinese language skills are pathetic.  Finally, at 6:00 pm we were hustled out of the room to a freezing cold dining hall where we had rice and vegetable dishes.  We were not allowed back into the only heated room with the cigarette-smoking policemen, so we wandered around this seemingly empty drafty multi-storied Monastery admiring the statues, inhaling the incense, and shaking our heads in a "how-the-heck-did-we-end-up-on-a-side-of-a-mountain-in-China-on-New-Year's-Eve? kind of way.   The only other tourists there were 2 Chinese people who seemed to be as bewildered as we were.

Mist moved in and out all day long which contributed to the spiritual ambiance of the hike.

We had no choice but to finally retire to our bedroom which had a 3 foot grate all around the top.   This meant the cold mountain air moved in and out.  It also allowed us to hear the gonging and chanting of the Monks.  Each of us had a wooden slab to sleep on which was covered with a thin mattress with a folded woolen quilt on top.   Poor Zane got sick in the night which was unpleasant given that the bathroom was up two flights of stairs and just had trenches in the ground.  There was no hot water or heat although we did have one forlorn lightbulb hanging from a twisted cord in the center of the room.  Yes, we did experience enlightenment during our stay.

My nephew Milo and I hiking up the mtn.

Both kids said it was the worst night ever, but it surely will always be a New Year's Eve to remember. I guess if I had the stomach flu all night and had to hike down all of those stairs the next morning, I might feel differently, too.  I know that I won't ever forget listening to the sounds of the monks chanting early in the morning to welcome the New Year.

If only we had a bottle of champagne...   There is no doubt that the Year of the Dragon will continue to memorable.

Christmas in China



We live on the 21st floor of the 41 story building.

On Christmas Eve which was a Saturday I gave a final exam to over 100 students.  After that, I hurried home to my new apartment in a high rise building where I met my sister, brother-in-law and two nephews who had been traveling in southern China. 

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This pagoda commemorates Xue Tao's poetry.

We spent Christmas Day walking around the Bamboo Park which is just across the river from my new apt. The park is dedicated to a famous female Tang Dynasty poet named Xue Tao.    It has over 150 varieties of bamboo which is not like the spindly plant that grows in my backyard in Albuquerque. Instead these bamboo plants are towering trees that arch over the paths in the park. It is easy to see why most of the pandas in China live in Sichuan province given the lush bamboo that grows wild everywhere in the mountains around Chengdu.

The candymaker.  Check out the designs on the white slab.

My favorite vendor in the park is the candymaker.  He creates custom designed suckers in intricate patterns on a white slab right before your eyes.  You spin a dial and whatever creature of the zodiac it lands on is the design that is created.  He deftly pours the hot burnt sugar liquid out in swirls and loops which instantly hardens around a bamboo stick into a custom-designed sucker.  I must take a better picture to show the amazing shapes that are created.  It's magical.

Nephew Ben getting a lesson in the top spinning.

In the park, there is always a group of retirees who gather to practice a game in which a top is suspended from a long string that is held in both hands of the participant. The person manages to gracefully turn, squat, and hop around while spinning the top on the string. The noise sounds like a swarm of locusts. Since the park is so close to my house I have been quietly observing this group for weeks. It looks much more active than playing bridge! 

On the weekends a traditional band meets to play Chinese folk songs in the plaza.  Often times a singer will join them and people will dance in front of the group.  In addition, there are dozens of people of all ages playing badminton. Exercise is taken quite seriously here.  People walk through the park swinging their arms in a windmill fashion or stomping and marching.  It is very rare to see an overweight person here let alone an obese one.

Wooden boats on the lake in the Bamboo Park

We all rented a wooden boat to paddle around the lake and canal that is in the middle of the park.  It was heavenly to be in a boat with experienced rowers from Pt. Townsend, Washington.  We finished the day by eating chicken soup and discovering that the $2 bottles of Great Wall of China Red Wine are not so bad after the first glass or two.  I hope everyone had a delightful holiday season!