The voices, reading in unison, caught our attention immediately.
The words spilled out of more than 100 mouths in a recurrent rhythmical series that we couldn’t understand. Even our Chinese guide, Alex, said it was difficult to decipher. He said they were reading stories.
A Thousand Buddha Peace Pagoda at Wenshu Temple in Chengdu.
We were at the Wenshu Temple, said to be the largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu. We were walking toward a room full of Buddhist worshippers, all with books propped up on the tables in front of them.
All were reading in the same cadence to the beat of a drum, a monk setting the pace to the monotone drone.
The sight is hard to put into words. To get the full impact, check out my video at the bottom.
Wenshu Temple is a monastery that dates to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Originally known as Xinxiang Temple, it was renamed after a Buddhist monk who lived at the temple in the 17th century.
The temple is known for the crowd of worshippers who flock to the place and we saw that firsthand on one Sunday morning.
The monastery, known for its ornate carvings that decorate many of its buildings, has more than 400 statues of stone, iron, bronze, painted clay and wood in various sizes and shapes.
There are also many Buddhist cultural relics and artwork from ancient and contemporary China in the Scriptures Hall.
The most precious item is said to be the skull of Xuanzang, a monk of the Tang Dynasty.
Outside is a Peace Pagoda of A Thousand Buddhas. It has 11 stories and is the tallest iron pagoda cast in China.
This is a fascinating stop, no doubt. Equally interesting is the shopping area on nearby Wenshuyuan Street with all the old-fashioned buildings. Quaint and charming, it is worth a visit.
- See the video
- See more photos
- Coming next: A silk factory.
- Still to come: A fire-breathing opera star.
