Last Saturday we woke to find the fog had lifted. Off on an adventure we three girls went.
Tsin Shui Wan Temple is colorful, spread out, and outdoors along the beach. It's also known as Tin Hau Temple - one of many temples in Hong Kong named after Tin Hau, Goddess of the Sea.
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| this is the Goddess of Mercy |
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| Joss sticks carry the prayers up to God |
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| Mother of the Jade Emperor sitting on a phoenix, holding a peach |
Temples are easily becoming one of my favorite things in Hong Kong.
Places of worship, prayer, quiet reflection, and history. Places of hope, fear, dreams, and sorrows. Places filled with colors, images, and joss stick scents. Places of wonder. Holy places where one is free to pay respect to ancestors, to God, or to simply be and look around.
Children can wander, touch, explore, and you don't get "the stink eye" like you might expect.
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| The Goddess of Mercy is humungous! That's her above the girls. |
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| the dragon has a stone/pearl in his mouth |
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| viewing turtles swimming below |
Signs and symbols for longevity (peach), blessing (sceptre) , good fortune (money, child), long life, plenty (fish), protection (lions), and good luck (horned creatures) are everywhere.
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| Bunny Cakes has a particular affection for Buddha |
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| banyon tree |
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| koi swimming beneath the Goddess of Mercy |
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| the gate in the background is "The Thousand Year Old Door" |
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| fancy a bit of shopping in the temple?? |
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| large coins beneath Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea - she protects fishermen and seafarers |
The bridge of Longetivity:
Legend has it that you gain 3 days of life every time you cross this bridge. Done!
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| The Old Man From The Moon - he's a matchmaker. Sit on his bench to have a good spouse. |
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| Kayak class kicking off a the temple beach |
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| People rub a statue 3 times and then sweep their hands along their heads or bodies to share in the blessings of that particular character. Some characters offer fertility, some offer fortune, some offer health, etc. |
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| ever and always collecting "treasures" |
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| i love this guy - no idea why |
From there - we wandered over to the BEACH.
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| Addie got a 'front row seat' of the kayaking crew |
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| That's The Lily - apartment complex in the back left |
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| Below The Lilly sits a newly-opened shopping plaza called 'The Pulse'. It's a bit contentious, using the beach for yet another shopping site. Filled with mid-to-high end stores, coffee shops, cafes, bars, a 'Pure' yoga studio, etc. |
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| We found several live snails and such in varying shells. And a mysterious beach-worm-thing. |
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| walk like a pigeon! |
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| or try to lure one |
The building with the hole in it - see it?
The hole is designed so that the dragon who sleeps in the mountain behind it will be able to fly out to sea.
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| a few surprising fall colors in late winter - don't get much of these around here! |
Before heading home, we meandered over to 'The Pulse'. We happily discovered several playgrounds (only got a couple photos, sorry) lined up along the shoreline near the shops. Enjoyed delicious coffee at a funky shop and the girls bought goggles for ABear's school swim class. (yes, she gets to swim at school. during the school day. lucky kid.)
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| no sprinkler systems - it's human labor everywhere - lots of jobs |
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| Coffee AND Guinness on tap? I think I'm home! |
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| think they're ready for summer? |
Fascinating! The color amazes me. What an incredible day.
ReplyDeleteThe kiddos end up at the beach a couple mornings a week--and they would LOVE to see Addie there! I think it's usually Thursdays. I'll have Maribel text N next time if you think they'd like it!
ReplyDeleteWow, the colors at those temples are incredible. I have only been to ruins in Mexico for a horrid comparison but I agree there is something SO AMAZING about the vibe and wonder of visiting those places. The Koi are HUGE! and everywhere. So cool!
ReplyDeleteThe beach looks so nice! The girls looked like they really enjoyed scavenging for treasures.
I bet all the shops and little places like that remind you a bit of home and that has to be nice! Although I would wager it is a very different exerience.