As it turned out we were in Anshan's 219 Park that includes a zoo, amusement park, many lakes, and Yufo Yuan also known as Jade Buddha Garden. The name 219 Park commemorates the liberation of Anshan by the People's Liberation Army on the 19th of February 1948.
The bridge over a lake that leads into Jade Buddha Palace. Just beautiful!
Nancy and Kimberly at the entrance to the Jade Buddha Palace.
Note the guy on the left taking our picture with his cell phone.
China's borders have not been open all that long to foreign visitors, so the Chinese were very interested in meeting us! Seeing a foreigner here is like spotting a movie star for us in the US. Many, many people walked right up and asked if they could be in a picture with us, snuggled right in as if they've know us all our lives, showed a peace sign, and smiled for the camera. It was an interesting way to meet some very sweet people! Many others tried to take pictures nonchalantly like this guy on the left!
A happy Claire purchasing tickets for us to enter the Jade Buddha Temple.
When we entered through the gates, this is the first sight we laid eyes upon. The dahlias were incredibly beautiful.
Something out of the "Little Shop of Horrors" or an amazing dahlia...
you choose!
In Buddhism the elephant is a symbol of mental strength and it often appears as a guardian of temples and of the Buddha himself.
Maybe this symbolizes the Bohdi Tree where Buddha achieved enlightenment, we're not sure, but we were up for a little enlightenment ourselves and decided to give it a try! : )
"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." The Buddha
What it's all really about...
Candles and incense burn outside the temples as a mark of respect and evoke the state of impermanence and change. Their light also symbolizes the enlightenment of the Buddha.
Good friends, beautiful dahlias, and an amazing connection to Spirit...
Two more friends...
We walked into the temple and saw the first of the many jade Buddhas...
They were incredibly intricate with carvings upon carvings.
Along with burning incense, food is often left on the alters as gifts.
To be continued...
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