The greater Chengdu area is about 17 million people. About 7 million are within the city.
My friend Jing owns a shop in a technology mall. My first few days there were hanging out at the mall. It's 8 floors of small vendors pretty much all competing directly with each other. It is loud, hot and you can't walk to the restroom without getting hounded by hundreds of salespeople.
The view of the street while walking from my hotel to the technology mall - maybe about 8 blocks away.
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Down the escalator.
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The view from her ThinkPad shop.
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Decided to check out Wuhou Temple at the Wuhou Distric in Chengdu. Wuhou is one of the oldest communities in Chengdu, and possibly the nation. It is also very wealthy.
On the way there, we pass the JinJiang River. Heavily developed and historically polluted, you don't see many fisherman or boaters on it. Since 1997, there has been a government program to reduce water pollution in the river.
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Wuhou Temple, built in the 6th century to commemorate Wuhou (premier) Zhuge Liang, one of the heroes portrayed by the historic novel "Romance of the 3 Kingdoms" and responsible for unifying feudal China. The temple serves as an edifice in tribute to feudal leaders, poets, monks and their descendants, but also represents the city's strongest tie to it's imperial past. After Zhuge Liang united China, Chengdu was its capital for centuries (until Mongol invasions forced a move).
The temple is nearly 1500 years old.
This is a Buddhist temple. The burning of incense, clockwise rotation, offering of monetary and food gifts, bowing thrice, and chanting are all common in every corner of the estate. Out of respect, I did not photograph the giant Buddhas at any of these temples.
We enter, buy incense, bow three times to the giant Buddha, and place the incense in this giant cauldron. Jing mistakenly fights the smoke to place here, while I laugh.
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The temple is an elaborate maze of small temples, dorms, offices, and courtyards.
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I don't recall what the names of these iron torches are, but they usually carry a flame and are paired with cauldrons of sand. One for lighting your incense, and the other for putting it down after you pray.
