Hong Kong

Last week Rhonda and I went to Hong Kong.  Rhonda served a mission for the LDS church there 35 years ago, so this was a chance to reconnect with many of those memories.  We stayed on the Kowloon, mainland, side of the bay.  The view above shows the skyline of Hong Kong Island.  Every night there is a laser light show which is a highlight for visitors. Below are a few images trying to capture some of what we saw...

Here is the skyline during the day...

While in Hong Kong, Rhonda and I had a chance to visit the Big Buddha on Lantau Island.  It is the 2nd largest Buddha in the world and is a major Buddhist landmark.  It stands 268 feet high and is made of bronze. Here is a picture of it below...

The Eightfold Path

1. Right understanding and viewpoint (based on the Four Noble Truths).
2. Right values and attitude (compassion rather than selfishness).
3. Right speech (don't tell lies, avoid harsh, abusive speech, avoid gossip).
4. Right action (help others, live honestly, don't harm living things, take care of the environment).
5. Right work (do something useful, avoid jobs which harm others).
6. Right effort (encourage good, helpful thoughts, discourage unwholesome destructive thoughts).
7. Right mindfulness (be aware of what you feel, think and do).
8. Right meditation (calm mind, practice meditation which leads to nirvana).

Above is a list of the Eightfold Path to Nirvana. While I do not agree with all the tenants of Buddhism, I have found that many of them are in harmony with my beliefs.  It is built on a foundation of doing and being good, as are most religions. Some 2500 years ago, according to history, Siddhartha Guatama, a prince in India,  set aside the wealth and luxuries of his surroundings and spent several years in an attitude of prayer and fasting, striving to understand himself and the world.  Finally, he felt that he had reached a state of Nirvana and was given the title of Buddha, or enlightened one, by those whom he taught.  While here in China, I have come to understand and appreciate the goodness of the people who practice Buddhism.  They are trying to be good and do good.  

 Standing in front of the Hong Kong Temple

One of the highlights for Rhonda and I, while in Hong Kong, was going to the Hong Kong Temple.  It was a beautiful experience.  We met many people from India who were visiting, since this is the closest temple to India.  

Rhonda and I also had a chance to attend a concert at the Hong Kong recital hall.  It is a beautiful building.  Shenyang, a talented Chinese Baritone who is currently singing with the Met, sang with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.  It was a wonderful evening.  Rhonda and I stood to give him a standing ovation.  We immediately noticed that we were the only ones standing and that standing ovations are not customary in China.  They did, however, give him 7 curtain calls!

Rhonda captured an image of this cute little boy on campus, holding a Ginko leaf in his hand.  His sister was very shy, and didn't want to face the camera.

Du Fu's Cottage

Du Fu was an acclaimed Chinese poet who lived around 750 AD.  He is revered by the Chinese as much as Shakespeare, Milton, Burns or Wordsworth are in the western world.  Like Thoreau, he too built a humble cottage, a place where he could write many of the more than 1500 poems he has to his credit.  Last week we went to visit this historical site in Chengdu.  While the cottage was quaint, I was taken more by the beauty of the grounds surrounding his home.
Below are a few pictures to help you get the feel...

Below, I found a young girl who was helping her mother plant grass on the grounds.  She was working very hard and was a bit embarrassed when I took her picture...

I conclude this entry with a parting shot.  A grandfather taking his grandson for a walk; a very typical sight.  It warms the heart to see so many grandparents spending time with their grandchildren. The parents are typically working, and the grandparents care for the children during the day.  There are usually 3 generations living in a home.  Note the slit in the back of the pants.  They do not wear diapers in China.  This part of the culture is a bit different from what you and I are used to.  It is not unusual to see a parent or grandparent assisting the child in public places to go to the bathroom on the floor or sidewalk, wherever they are standing.  One must watch his or her step!  

Check one off the bucket list!

Before leaving to China, I had hoped that during our time there I would be able to visit the famous Karsch Mountains, sometimes affectionately referred to as the "Gumdrop Mountains".  You might say it was on my bucket list.  Last week Rhonda and I had the opportunity to visit Guilin and take a trip down the Li river which flows through the middle of the Karsch mountain range.  We ended up in a town called Yangshuo.  We spent the night there at a beautiful hotel nestled in the mountains.  I have included some pictures below of our experience.  They hardly do these mountains justice.  It is almost like being on another planet.  I've never seen anything quite like it.

 Li River, flowing through the Karsch mountains. It felt as tranquil as this looks.

A local moving produce down the river

Move photos of the Karsch range.  We were in awe.

Once we reached Yangshuo, we stayed at a hotel nestled in this environment.  Here we are on the hotel grounds.

Another view from our hotel

When we returned to Guilin, Rhonda and the Carriers went on to visit some rice fields a few hours north of the city.  My back wasn't up to the trip, so I stayed in Guilin and took a stroll around this beautiful lake.  These two structures are called the Pagodas of the Sun and moon.

Yesterday, we all went to visit this new tower in Chengdu.  It is opening this weekend, but they let us take a trip up to the top.  (for a nominal fee :-)

Here is the view.  Yesterday was literally the clearest day we have experienced here in Chengdu.  Normally, we would not have been able to see the first set of buildings below due to the pollution.  We were pretty excited to have such a pretty day!

Again, I close this blog entry with the cutest thing we saw while on the tower...this sweet little boy and his mother!  

(ps-  you can get some feel for the size of Chengdu by looking at the horizon.  It looks like this 360 degrees.  14 million people.)