lost in the woods

Bao Zhou Jian

... it's an ancestral temple almost forgotten in the midst of mountainous village in Pingdu. it is a very small town 3 hours away from Qingdao where i used to live that time. i didn't expect much what to see when we were on our way there. i thought it would the same ancestral temple like i've seen before. i found this one special. it's not located at the center of the town where is accesible to anyone, even to passersby. to get to this one, you have to pass through a very small village where there are few inhabitants and climb the mountain to its peak to find this little historic treasure.

... this is the other passage which is obviously not used anymore. wild vines covered the stairway and later might cover the whole place unless the caretakers will do something about it. there is one family living inside who looks after the place. i don't know how they maintain it. it is too far from the center of the town. very rare people would come to visit and could probably buy souvenirs. there was not even an entrance fee. all we were asked to do was to pay a little respect to their ancestors which means you gotta buy yourself an incense and kneel in front of the statues like you are praying. the monk will ring the bell as a sign of guests presence. then later you can make a wish while putting the incense in the "ding". 'twas fun.

... few meters away outside the temple are stone built igloo-like things. they are the graves of their deceased kins. there are few of them. it looks like every member of the family then and now who dies are being buried there.

... engraved on these tablets is the history of the place which was built some hundred years ago. i remember how quiet it was there. we were the only ones visiting that time. i love the feeling being with nature. it makes you forget how being busy in the city feels like. i always liked hiking, it refreshes me. now, hiking plus discovering a place with a touch of interesting history became such a great interest to me.

...we found this stream on our way up. we stayed for awhile and took a closer look and enjoyed the sound of water rushing down the mountain. down the foot of the mountain were some young girls washing clothes from this water.

"beng beng cha"

... this is my favorite. when i first saw this car, i thought it was made especially for small people or that they made it for fun. lol. but no. it is actually some kinda taxi. usually you would fins such a car in smaller towns or sometimes in the suburbs. i took it twice. once was when i wanted to try and experience a ride. second was when i was too in hurry and taxis were all taken that it left me no choice but to take it. you of course cheaper than a taxi fare. it's pretty cramped inside and it's shaky. but it was fun. we don't have this in my country (we have different) and sooner these all maybe gone so at least i took my chance already. (:

nota bene: more of these pictures in my facebook account albums.