Page 135 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

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ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS

MAIN IMAGE The towering wooden statue of Guanyin, with her magnificent
jewels and many arms BELOW (left to right) Monks in prayer; one of the
temple builldings from the outside, with the Mahayana Hall on the right

4 MORE CHINESE TEMPLES TO
RIVAL THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

DAFO TEMPLE In the walled town of Zhengding, in China’s
Hebei province, is the renowned Dafo Temple, home to a 69-ft
(21-m) bronze statue of Guanyin, dating from AD 970. The town‘s
charming streets are overlooked by temples and pagodas.
LAMA TEMPLE Beijing’s largest Buddhist temple is a majestic
Tibetan Buddhist shrine. The centerpiece is a magnificent 56-ft
(17-m) statue of the Maitreya Buddha, but don’t forget to explore
the surrounding maze of hutongs (traditional Beijing alleyways).
JOKHANG TEMPLE Lhasa’s ancient and venerable Jokhang
Temple is the most sacred in Tibet, and the focus for an endless
stream of worshipers. The doors and frames of the Chapel of
Chenresig are among the few remains of the original temple.
MENCIUS TEMPLE China’s largest Confucius temple lies at the
heart of Qufu, in Shandong province, but it’s perhaps the little-
visited Mencius Temple in nearby Zoucheng that you should
explore instead for authentic flavors of old China.

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