Putuo Shan

Not exactly sure how I happen to be on the back of a motorbike moving for some reason just towards the rest of the traffic. I just hoped the 'taxi' driver knew what he was doing. He knew, we were at the port in a matter of minutes, having escaped all the jams. There was a smell of fried chestnuts in the night and many people moving towards the deem light of a port building.


We took a night ship Friday evening, moving smoothly through the waves and wind towards a small dragon island. The wake up call happen almost 3 hours in advance that allowed for slow breakfast and refreshing walk with camera pointed at patches of land raising out of the water and disappearing towards the horizon.

We were met by the hostess and briskly walked towards our lodging for the night, it was drizzling.


Putuo Shan is famous for it's Buddhist temples as well as mount Putuo, that is considered to be one of the 4 sacred mountains in Buddhism. It is not limited by that however. Two beaches, poetically named, caves and sculpture are not of a less interest to an eye spoiled by western views.


The temples, with their quieting atmosphere, burning aroma sticks, prayers and Buddhas, coins thrown here and there for luck, Buddhist monks walking around in tidy orange cloths, lotuses in the wells and ponds - symbol of Buddhism, lions and dragons - signs of imperial power, fish that is hit on it side to call monks and visitors for the humble and very cheap dinner, beautiful nature these all make for an incredible experience.


I am back to the city, with it's 100 000 taxis, neon lights and countless people... having had a royal treatment at a massage center, nice dinner in the up scale restaurant, in my mind I am still going back to the quietness and mystic of the Buddhist temples... hope one day... soon, I will find my way back there.