Summer in Sanya 海南島三亞 (July 2006)

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in July 2006, we went to Yalong Bay in the Sanya City of Hainan Island.

The hotel is inside the Yalong Bay National Park, right on the beach.

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The first few days after we arrived were rainy and the red flag was up on the beach. When the rain stopped, the red flag was hoist almost at all time in the next few days also, mainly due to the big waves.

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However the big waves did not stop people from having fun on the beach.

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Kids were having different kind of fun too.

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On our 2nd day in Sanya, we hired a van to visit the "usual" tourist sites, including the Nan Shan Monastery (南山寺). On approaching the Monastery, we see more and more incense vendors on the roadside.

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At the entrance to the Nan Shan Monastery.

On the way to the monastery, I learnt from our driver that the monastery is new. It is not an explansion of any old temple.

Short into the monastery, I had a growing suspicion that it is a Buddhism theme park.

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At the first stop inside the monastery is a temple for Guanyin (觀音). However on the side are prayer wheels of Tibetian Buddhism.

I have been to Tibet visited quite a few temples, and I have been to quite a few Guanyin temples as well. This is the first time I found Tibetian prayer wheels in a Guanyin temple.

New Age Fusion Temple?

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In the next few stops, we will be seeing this woman, the couple behind, and other 'belivers" again and again at different halls and temples.

I think religion is going to be a big business in the mainland in the coming years for some complicated and sometimes seems contradicting reasons.

While people are generally optimistic about their future, there are also lots of uncertainties - from fast changing economics, market conditions to official policies. The general lack of protection of property rights does not help easing off the uncertainty.

There is another reason for the religious revival. When many people are getting wealthy, they start to look into the past to find 'roots' and 'traditions'. In my opinion, some of the recently revived so-called 'traditions' are newly created simply to fill the market demand for traditions.

When people are not sure about their past, future, or even about themselve, do they turn to religions for comfort? Perhaps this explains why even Fa Long Gong has believers. Anything goes.

(Of course, some people do not just turn to supernatures, they manifest the need by wearing all kind of brands on them - especially European sounding brands.)

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The gold plated Guanyin inside the temple.

The smaller Guanyin statues behind are patronized by the wealthy. There are at least 3 classes of patronage, judging by the location, size, and fineness of the statues. Of course the cost of the patronage are very different also.

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The cost of 'sponsoring' a Guanyin inside the air-conditioned glass enclosure is the highest. The ones right outside (the right ones on the first picture) is cheaper.

The cheapest is the one shown in the second picture.