Stone Lions

Everywhere in China you can see stone lions. This fierce looking example was at the Bamboo Temple at the first stairway up into the central courtyard. Lions like this one are protectors. Usually they come in pairs. Often they guard the doors of bank buildings and other traditional buildings. In Buddhism the lion is regarded as a divine animal of dignity, who is able to keep off evils and protect the truth. The Chinese also do a lion dance which has remained popular since the Han Dynasty. In Buddhist writings it is said, "Buddha is a lion among men," but Jesus Christ is referred to in the Bible as the Lion of Judah. Lions are awesome!

The Bamboo Temple, Kunming

Temple Truths

Yes, Chinese people still love to visit the temples, especially during the Chinese New Year's holiday. In a recent trip to a nearby temple, The Bamboo Temple, this was clear to me. In Chinese this temple is the Qiongzhu Gong, a temple of the Chan school of Mahayana Buddhism, and is located in the hills west of Kunming. Founded on a site where legend has it that a strange rhino was spotted by two ruling brothers. When they gave pursuit, the rhino disappeared and they found a group of strange monks, but as they approached the monks vanished and in their place was some Qiong Bamboo. Since it was special 'arhat bamboo,' the brothers deemed it a place of enlightenment and built a temple there. This temple was established during the Yuan Dynasty and ,despite the Red Guards destruction during the Cultural Revolution, it has been rebuilt and is an active temple to this day. The Chinese buy vast amounts of incense which is for sale in the temple. They burn the incense in large cauldrons in the temple as an act of devotion. I saw Chinese families relaxing and partaking of the many foods being sold by various vendors on the temple site. I also saw many Chinese people bowing to pray to the many statues in the temple. They often leave offerings of fruit or flowers at the feet of the statues. There are small, colorful 'bowing cushions' at the altar areas. I realized after 60 years of communism, religion is alive and well in the Chinese people. A young college age man felt the need to approach our party of westerners and tell us we were being disrespectful by taking photos in the temple central courtyard, even though many Chinese were also shooting photos there as well. For a young man raised only during communism, he seemed mighty ardent to 'protect' Buddhism from the foreigners. I explained to him we were not being disrespectful, as I myself taught world religions for many years and like to read about Buddhism. I find the temples endlessly fascinating to visit and read about. I believe the eternal God of the universe created all men with what Pascal referred to as ' a god-shaped vacuum' inside of each of us. I admire the quest to discover truth in all its forms and long for seekers to find out about the one true God. That is why I like to visit temples of different religions. It proves to me time and time again that all men are searchers for the truth and all men seek to find God. I only hope they find the creator God of the universe and his only son, Jesus Christ.

Bound Feet Lady

Here are two more pictures of the same lady with bound feet.

Are There Still Bound Feet in China?

Yes, occasionally you can still see women with bound feet here. They are quite old and it is rare to see someone with bound feet. They have a very distinctive type of walk and very tiny feet, so it strikes you as quite strange if you happen to spot someone. I was up north in the Bei Chen neighborhood one day sitting on a bench and a little old lady goes shuffling by me with her bound feet. It was so unique. They have to wear special shoes made for them. I have seen bound feet only three times in the five years I have been in China. The women appear to be in their 80's to 90's. A 90-year-old woman would have been born in 1919. That sounds about right historically, because in the 1920's, and even earlier, the government was sponsoring programs to put a stop to foot binding. It is a very painful process started at a young age. The young girl's feet cannot develop properly because they are broken and tightly wound up, so they cannot grow big. The result is a deformed little pointed foot that takes years of pain to achieve. These tiny deformed feet were considered beautiful, but they rendered the girl a virtual cripple her whole life! What a strange cultural practice.

My 'Year of the Ox' Door Decorations

I put up my door couplet for Chinese New Year. If you remember my post last year, my friend John Mark's father made them. They are beautiful Chinese calligraphy wishing good things for the new year. (scroll back to last year for a story about him making this door couplet) I also have a decorative ox head hanging on the door for the Year of the OX, my fifth Chinese New Year which I have been priveleged to ring in!!! Many Chinese decorate their doors for the new year. It is mostly red colors and very bright.

Here is some of the stunning Chinese architecture at the temple.