Sunday Afternoon

After leaving the Yu Garden, I ventured over to the Chenxiangge Nunnery.  Unfortunately, since this is a working temple, I was not allowed to take photographs.  Worse yet, it was the most beautiful thing I have seen since I have been in China. 

The attention to detail in the nunnery was amazing.  There were statues and sculptures of Buddhist gods and warriors everywhere.  I was able to buy a ribbon, and tie it on to the base of the Buddha for good luck.

Once done at the nunnery, I walked along the back alleys of the old city.  Here, the old way of life prevails.  Clothes hang to dry from every possible place.  There are small restaurants in back alleys.  The houses are small and dark, but all have air conditioning.  It is really strange to imagine that all of Chinese Shanghai was once like that.

Next I went walking south to the Confucius temple.  Here are some scenes along the way: 

Pedestrian bridge

Mosques in the distance

Water well?

After about one hour of walking, I finally made it to the temple.  I was half-dead fromt he heat. 



Students come here to ask for good grades

  I liked this temple a lot more than the Yu Garden since it was almost deserted.  I practically had the place to myself.

In the central courtyard of the temple, there was a giant book fair.  They were selling all sorts of amazing Chinese books.  Everything from old communist propaganda, to books about Chinese medicine.  I particularly wanted some Chinese romance novels.