Pictures from the temple courtyard and the bus stop
10.11.2013
Seuraavana päivänä
kirjautuessamme ulos hotellista kahdeltatoista, jotkut tanskiksista olivat
nukkuneet vain parisen tuntia ja lähtiessäni edellisenä ilta kotiin karaoke-baarista he olivat alkaneet juomaan
tosissaan kun kiinalaisetkin olivat tainneet mennä omalle hotellilleen. Tämähän
johti siihen, että he halusivat mennä taas mäkkäriin syömään krapulansa pois.
Kiinalaisetkin saapuivat mäkkäriin, jotta voisimme viettää päivän yhdessä
nähtävyyksiä katsellessa. Ulkona satoi tihkua ja kaikki tanskalaiset
vaikuttivat siltä että he haluavat vain palata Shanghaihin. Itse päätin mennä
kiinalaisten mukaan, sillä olisi ollut tyhmää tulla Suzhouhun asti ja sitten
vain lähteä kotiin näkemättä mitään. Kaksi muuta tanskalaista tuli seurakseni
ja lähdimme kiinalaisten kanssa matkaan muiden jäädessä hengailemaan keskustaan.
Pysähdyimme matkan
varrella olevaan Taoismi temppeliin. Taolaisuus on yksi kiinan kolmesta pääuskonnoista. Minulle selvisi jopa, että temppeli oli
kaupungin rauhaa varten rakennettu. Aloin heti sisään tultua räpsimään kuvia, mutta melko
nopeasti minulle sanottiin, ettei täällä saa kuvata. Nähdessäni toisten
kiinalaisten ottavan kameralla kuvia ihan avoimesti, jatkoin touhujani kun kukaan ei ollut
lähettyvillä. Paikka oli melko hieno ja ollessamme sisäpihalla, sisällä pää rakennuksessa alkoi
seremonia musiikin soidessa ja pappien tullessa esiin erikoiset vaatteet
päällä. Sisäpihalla oli myös iso ”kattila” täynnä vettä. Pohjalla oli pieni
kulho jonne oli tarkoitus pudottaa kolikko. Yksi pojista antoi minulle kolikon
ja sanoi sen antavan onnea mikäli osun kulhoon. Kolikkoni putosi tietenkin
aivan toiseen laitaan. Eli melko paljon epäonnea. Tai ehkä ei sittenkään, sillä
seistessäni ulkona sateessa toinen pojista toi minulle sateenvarjonsa, vaikka
minulla oli sateenkestävä takki päällä ja heillä oli vaan hupparit. Jälkeenpäin kiittäessäni häntä hänen sateenvarjon lainaamisesta, poika vain sanoi, että totta kai tytölle pitää antaa varjo ensisijaan.
Jatkoimme matkaan temppelistä katua pitkin kävellen, kunnes
saavuimme bussipysäkille, josta otimme bussin seitsemän pysäkkiä eteenpäin. Lähtiessämme kävelemään
seuraavaa nähtävyyttä päin pysähdyimme ruoka-kärryjen kohdalle. Sain maistaa paistettua
kastanjaa ja sokerikuorrutettua omenaa. Oli mukavaa saada maistaa erilaisia
kiinalaisten ostamia herkkuja, koska itsehän ei oikein uskalla mennä niitä
vielä ostamaan kun ei yhtään tiedä mitä suuhunsa pistää.
The next day we checked out from the hotel at 12 o'clock. We went once again to McDonalds to eat "breakfast". There we met all the Chinese students, who wanted us to join them as they were heading out to see more sights. At this point it was raining outside and most of the Danes just wanted to go back to Shanghai but, I felt it would be a waist of time and money to leave without seeing anything in the city. I decided to join the Chinese students, and so did two of the Danes as well, as the rest of the group stayed behind.
As we started walking along one of the streets we came across a Taoist temple in the middle of the city. Taoism is one of the three largest religions in China, but I hadn't seen this kind of temple before. I was told that the temple is the city's peace temple that protects Suzhou against war. Once I was inside I started taking pictures, but I was soon told by one of the students that I can't do that inside the temple. As I saw some of the other Chinese girls taking pictures with cameras, I still took some photos when no one was around. The temple was really beautiful and it had lots of details, so I just had to take some photos. As we were standing in the inner yard a ceremony started inside the main building as music started playing and the priests entered the temple.
In the courtyard there was a large "pot" filled with water and lots of coins in the bottom of it. I was told that if I drop the coin in the middle it will bring me great luck. Of course my coin went to the far side, so no luck for me. As it was still raining and there was no roof over the courtyard one of the Chinese boys gave me his umbrella even though I was wearing a waterproof jacket and some of the other boys had only hoodies on. Two or three of the students bought incense sticks and did some prayers before we left the temple.
We walked a bit further until we got to a bus station. The bus stops are really nice looking compared to stops in other cities and countries. We got on a bus and got off seven stops later. As we were heading for our next sight we stopped for some snacks. I got to taste some warm chestnuts and sugar covered apples that the Chinese students gave us. It was nice to taste some local snacks since normally I wouldn't go and buy that kind of food myself.
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
10.11.2013The next day we checked out from the hotel at 12 o'clock. We went once again to McDonalds to eat "breakfast". There we met all the Chinese students, who wanted us to join them as they were heading out to see more sights. At this point it was raining outside and most of the Danes just wanted to go back to Shanghai but, I felt it would be a waist of time and money to leave without seeing anything in the city. I decided to join the Chinese students, and so did two of the Danes as well, as the rest of the group stayed behind.
As we started walking along one of the streets we came across a Taoist temple in the middle of the city. Taoism is one of the three largest religions in China, but I hadn't seen this kind of temple before. I was told that the temple is the city's peace temple that protects Suzhou against war. Once I was inside I started taking pictures, but I was soon told by one of the students that I can't do that inside the temple. As I saw some of the other Chinese girls taking pictures with cameras, I still took some photos when no one was around. The temple was really beautiful and it had lots of details, so I just had to take some photos. As we were standing in the inner yard a ceremony started inside the main building as music started playing and the priests entered the temple.
In the courtyard there was a large "pot" filled with water and lots of coins in the bottom of it. I was told that if I drop the coin in the middle it will bring me great luck. Of course my coin went to the far side, so no luck for me. As it was still raining and there was no roof over the courtyard one of the Chinese boys gave me his umbrella even though I was wearing a waterproof jacket and some of the other boys had only hoodies on. Two or three of the students bought incense sticks and did some prayers before we left the temple.
We walked a bit further until we got to a bus station. The bus stops are really nice looking compared to stops in other cities and countries. We got on a bus and got off seven stops later. As we were heading for our next sight we stopped for some snacks. I got to taste some warm chestnuts and sugar covered apples that the Chinese students gave us. It was nice to taste some local snacks since normally I wouldn't go and buy that kind of food myself.
