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Monday September 4, 2017

TEMPLE TALES

The Mahakala called Black Cloak on a mural inside the lamasery at Splendid China•China Folk Culture Villages, Shenzhen.

James Baquet

James Baquetjamesbaquet@gmail.com

IT has been over 14 years since I fi rst set foot in China. Since then I have traveled to nearly 100 cities. But I have never been to the Tibet Autonomous Region. My fi rst taste of it was at the Splendid China•China Folk Culture Villages in Shenzhen, where I was able to see a miniaturized Potala Palace, and enter — for the fi rst time — a full-sized lamasery. I have since been to several more, notably Beijing’s Yonghe Temple and the Guangren Temple in Xi’an.

I’m very familiar with the Chinese form of Buddhism as found in the Han cultural area of the country, as well as the Japanese forms derived from it. But although I have taken one graduate course in Tibetan Buddhism, with its separate source in India, the fi gures encountered in Tibetan temples and their iconogra-phy remain something of a mystery to me.

But from time to time, I see a familiar face. One of those is Mahakala, a Wrathful Deity who protects the Dharma (teaching).

Unlike Mahakala’s other forms with four arms or six, the Bernag

Chen (Black Cloak) I saw painted on a wall inside the lamasery has only two arms. The left hand holds a cup made from a skull fi lled with blood or brains (presumably from an enemy). His right holds a chop-per, to cut through delusion, hatred and ignorance. And he is standing on two human fi gures, represent-ing the conquering of our lower natures.

And what a face! The third eye symbolizes supernatural perception. The fi erce expression frightens away evil. And the crown of fi ve skulls represents fi ve negative affl ictions as they turn into fi ve wisdoms.

The Mahakala Black Cloak

RECENTLY, the China Institute of City Com-petitiveness released the 2017 list of the

happiest cities in China and three cities in Guangdong, namely Huizhou, Zhuhai and Zhaoqing, are among the top 10. Today we will continue our journey to these three cities to fi nd out their secrets to happiness.

Zhuhai, a 100-island city

With its seemingly countless islands, Zhuhai has earned itself the nickname of “city with 100 islands.”

The renowned Lovers’ Road, a coastal road with a total length of 17 kilometers, encircles the coastline of the city like a silver ribbon. The Fishing Girl statue, a landmark of the city, stands on the stone stairs by Xianglu Bay.

The beauty of the seashell-shaped Zhuhai Grand Theater, the vitality of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, and the speed and passion of Zhuhai International Circuit are all calling for tour-ists.

Wanshan Archipelago, a 104-island archipelago that is part of Zhuhai’s Xiangzhou District, is far away from the hustle and

Check out the happiest cities

in GD (II)

bustle of the big cities. Fishing vil-lages and small harbors with oddly-shaped stones and crystal clear water are sure to lure people who love tranquility.

In this primitive environment, you can go diving, surfi ng, fi shing, you name it. And of course you can sit on the beach to enjoy the peace and watch the sunrise and the sunset.

Miaowan Island, located in the middle of Zhuhai’s Wanshan Archipelago, is fondly referred to as “dream island” and also as China’s Maldives. It is composed of the main island and an unnamed one, connected by a stone embankment built by locals in the 1970s.

As an undeveloped sightseeing spot, Miaowan Island has only one arc-shaped beach, a small village and a wharf. However, it has deli-cate white sand, clear water, fresh seafood and a fi rst-rate natural environment.

Zhuhai is the combination of modern dynamics with historical profundity. Apart from the modern and international platforms, it’s also home to abundant historical sites such as Meixi Royal Stone Archways and New Yuanming Palace.

Meixi Royal Stone Archways is a key historical site under State pro-tection. The stone archways were granted by Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as a tribute to Chen Fang, consul general to Honolulu, Hawaii. The stone arch-ways cover an area of 126,000 square meters. Apart from the archways, you can also check out the former residence of Chen Fang and Chen’s garden and cemetery nearby.

New Yuanming Palace is the only royal garden in South China. Cover-ing an area of 1.39 square kilometers and bordered by mountains to the east, west and north, it is the largest 4-A scenic area in Zhuhai.

(Chen Xiaochun)

Meixi Royal Stone Archways in Zhuhai were granted by Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as a tribute to Chen Fang, consul general to Honolulu, Hawaii. Miaowan Island.

Fishing lovers at a bay on an island of Wanshan Archipelago. File photos