One thing I usually marvel at when going abroad is the seamless integration between culture and society. I'm used to the US where ppl are from everywhere, so culture is kind of what u make it to be personally. There aren't universal rituals and traditions built into the culture. It's different in a country like China, which is thousands of yrs old and has a population mostly made of the same race and religion. We saw the Giant Buddha at Ngong Ping. This Buddha statue is about 40-50 feet tall and built in top of a mountain far up in the mountains only accessible by either a 45 minute cable car ride or (if u're dedicated and slightly insane) a walk that has to take the better part of the day. It's also surrounded by praying ladies making offering to Buddha. It's amazing to me that a country's people take such pride in their religion that they would build and regularly travel so far to see such a sight and often to pray. I'm not Buddhist, but I had to go see it. It's a testament to their character. On a similar note, we visited several different temples all over the Hong Kong area. Many are very old but still very impressive and magnificent inside. The golden statues, artwork, models, decorations, and incense are a very soothing environment. They also have spiral incense which would be very nice burning in my living room when I get my own place. LOL. Also at Ngong Ping, we saw a walkway lined with The Twelve Generals, which serve as a symbol of protection in their culture. They are also pictured. Once again, no suitable American equivalent. Can u imagine the fire storm which would start in America, a land of so many religions, if one religion wanted to build such a statue and complex. It would become and competition of which religion could do it the biggest.
Also pictured below are the infinite statues, basically tall wooden totems in the shape of a giant infinity sign, once again very high up in the mountains. Each totem has it's own distinctive carvings in Chinese. I wish I could enlighten you with the knowledge of what each was saying, but I have no idea. Sorry.
Moving on, I also included pictures from the district of markets. There is a Flower Market, a Jade Market, and most interestingly a Bird Market. They have full markets - meaning like a block or two of storefronts or big rooms full of stands - selling their specialty. I'm not into flowers, but the store pictured below with the deep green plants and the glass waterfall at the store front was very calming. It amazes me at the bird market to see ppl just chilling with their birds at their sides in cages. It was just as natural as I'd sit my brief case on the ground beside me when I sit. Any kind of bird (normal birds anyway, no condors or anything obviously) or bird-related item is available for u. And it was packed, ppl give em love there. The Jade Market is the one that got me excited, unfortunately my card didn't work overseas so I had to monitor my cash and couldn't splurge when I got there, but it's a great place to get nice and distinctive gifts. Jewelry, statues, paperweights, etc., if it's made of jade or a distinctive stone, it was there for u.
Last but not least, pictured directly below, was our trip to the Wishing Tree. The Wishing Tree is rehabbing at the moment. Apparently it was falling or something, because it's being supported by stands as pictured, but nonetheless, people come and visit the wish lady to write their wishes in Chinese on the parchment pictured and hang them on the stands near the tree. We followed suit. Once again, although I am from a different religion entirely, I see the value in faith. Not saying the US doesn't have faith, that's not true at all, but I can tell a difference in a homogeneous society where u can build faith from thousands of years ago into your everyday life. To be continued with another aspect of my trip...
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