PUNING TEMPLE HAS THE WORLD’S LARGEST BODHISATTVA AVALOKITESVARA WOOD SCULPTURE: Puning Temple, located to the north-east of the Chengde Mountain Resort, is one of the temples that make up the Eight Outer Temples complex. Nicknamed the “Big Buddha Temple”, it is one of the more interesting temples in the complex as it is home to […]
Puyou Temple With Its Impressive Hall of Arhats
PUYOU TEMPLE’S COLLECTION OF ARHAT STATUES IS WORTH SEEING: To the east of Puning Temple is the Puyou Temple, another of the Eight Outer Temples near the Chengde Mountain Resort. Compared to Puning Temple, with its many colourful gate and temple halls, bell and temple towers, pavilions, stupas and the world famous giant Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, […]
A Beijing Hutong Experience
BEIJING’S HUTONGS ARE A PART OF CHINA’S CULTURAL HERITAGE: Modern Beijing impresses with its high rise apartment blocks, huge shopping malls, commercial towers and wide boulevards. But to experience the charm of old Beijing and the real soul of the city, we pay a visit to one of the Beijing hutong neighbourhoods. Our Beijing Hutong Experience […]
Meeting Mr. Liu and his Champion Fighting Crickets
A LUNCH MEETING IN THE HUTONG HOME OF MR. LIU, THE CHAMPION CRICKET TRAINER: One of our Beijing Hutong experiences is a visit to Mr. Liu’s courtyard residence to have lunch at his hutong home. We’re usually not keen on big lunches, and hesitate about joining this optional lunch excursion, but it turns out to […]