Lingyin Temple Hangzhou China

 

 

I had a quick visit to Hangzhou, so I decided to visit Lingyin Temple in the morning. A lot of temples and parks in China are extremely disappointing. They advertise that they are hundreds or thousands of years old, but the truth is that many were rebuilt in the 1980s. So, when I go to a park or temple in China, I always have the question in my head: just how old is this really?

 

 

Lingyin Temple was awesome—it was old, really old, and I loved it. Despite the terrible weather, the park had so much to see and do. The ancient Buddhist carvings were fascinating, and I enjoyed walking around, watching all the Buddhist people paying their respects at the statues.

 

 

 

The surroundings around the temple were completely overgrown with huge bamboo forests and trees, making everything feel ancient. I am not sure how old the temples are, though. My best guess is that they have been rebuilt in the last 20 years.

 

 

 

 

I really want to go back to the temple one day when the weather is better and the smog isn’t turning the sky a dull grey color. The inside of the temples in Lingyin Park is similar to most temples in China. They are dark, quiet places with lots of signs that say, “NO PHOTOGRAPHY.” When I see those signs, I mostly respect them and do not take photos. I took one photo from outside the door, looking into the temple, and even that was difficult because of the low light. I was shooting at ISO 6400 and a very slow shutter speed to get the correct exposure. But that’s life—you can’t always control the light. You have to work with what you’ve got and make the most out of it.

 

 

 

One benefit of going to a park in China during bad weather is that not many people will go there. Normally, if the weather is good during the weekend, I would never go to a tourist spot, as it would be overcrowded with thousands of people.

 

 

The only thing I did not like about the park was the fake candles. They just looked so out of place at the temples. Most temples still use traditional wax candles, and this is the first time I have seen electronic candles. Maybe they are using them because they are good for the environment, but I am not sure. All I can say is that I don’t like them. Sometimes tradition is a good thing.

Besides the candles, I would say that Lingyin Park is probably the best park and temple in China that I have visited so far. If you go to Hangzhou, I highly recommend going here. It is not far from West Lake and is really worth walking around and exploring.

Shaun.