Return to Shanghai - the Jade Buddha Temple and other historic spots

Today’s exploration of some of the old parts of Shanghai has been really fascinating.

First we visited the Jade Buddha Temple. I wish I could show you a photograph of the magnificent jewelled white jade Buddha, but we were not permitted to take photographs of it. It would be worth looking it up on the internet, however. It is carved from a single piece of white jade, and stands 6-feet high. Nevertheless, we were able to see a reclining Buddha made of white jade, though not carved from a single piece of jade. 

I was extremely lucky to have the same very informative guide I had when I visited the Watertown last week. This time I learned a lot about their Buddhist customs and beliefs. For example, they hang red ribbons containing their hopes and dreams at the temple on special rails - red being the colour of the heavens - and then they tie the ribbons on a tree at the temple when the dream is fulfilled, with an appropriate donation to the temple. 

Whilst we were there many Chinese were making models of all kinds of objects in silver paper, then placing them in a special orange paper bag and dropping them into a fire, accompanied by the burning of incense. The objects they created were representative of things a now deceased and still much loved relative loved in their life, so these objects would reach them in the afterlife and give them pleasure. So if the person loved a beer, for example, some would be made into the shape of a beer bottle! Younger relatives tend to make models of iPhones, iPads and so forth! This ceremony is only performed at special times of the year. 

We even learned how the Buddhists overcame Mao’s edict during the dreadful Cultural Revolution that only he should be revered. They simply posted a large image of him beyond their Buddhas and pretended they were bowing to him, thus preserving their beautiful statues!

Next we walked through the ornate old town market and visited the 500-year-old Yu-Yuan Garden, created during the Ming dynasty, so our guide told us. If it were not for the many visitors, it was like stepping into a tranquil, lost past.  

I went to a talk yesterday on Shanghai, and learned there are some very beautiful and very different other gardens in Shanghai. They would certainly be worth visiting too. It is so hard to choose a shore excursion that encompasses all your interests, but I was still delighted with my tour. It was great to step away from all the high-rise buildings and enter another world, just as we did when we visited the Watertown.          

The internet is really slow right now so I will try to post my photos later.