Monday, on my Beijing trip, I went to the Lama Temple. It was officially Lunar New Year, so there were many people at the temple to light incense and pray, bowing to the four directions and, I guess, wishing for a lucky year. It was quite lovely, actually, because it made the air so fragrant. The temple was once a palace, so it's quite lavish. The various buildings contained several Buddha-y things, along with Buddha himself in many forms, not the least of which was one seriously impressive Buddha carved from the truck of a single white sandlewood tree and measuring in at 36 meters tall. The top of my head barely reached the same height as the top of this Buddha's sandle strap. Sorry, folks, taking pics of Buddha while people pray is asking for trouble, so just imagine the tallest coolest Buddha ever, okay? Please, enjoy this karma-friendly pics of the temple.
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| The front gate |
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| Tree-lined path towards the temple |
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| People lighting incense in huge coal burners and praying to the four directions. |
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| Joining in the local New Year's tradition |
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| Yes, all the smoke in these pictures is incense. It smelled really nice at the Lama Temple. |
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| My Beijing travel buddy, Monica! |
Now, off to the Temple of Heaven!
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