1000 Buddha Hill

Today I meet Stephanie for a trip to Qian Fo Shan, or 1000 Buddha Hill. She and her friend Gena and I set off for the walk to the park. It was super cold and windy, and it took awhile to warm up. I’d walked there the afternoon before, so I knew how long it would take to get there. What I didn’t know was how big the park was. We were there for almost 3 hours and I was numb with the cold by the time we left, but it was great. The view of Jinan from the top is stunning. Huge city. Huge. In all directions, as far as the eye can see and beyond. Innumerable high-rise buildings, many of them apartments, and all built within the last 10-15 years. So many people. And this is a very small city by Chinese standards. Of course there was a useless trinket stand at the top, and many along the way. Any place to stand is a commerce opportunity. Capitalism is extremely popular here.

The other noteworthy site in the park was 288,888 Buddha Cave. Very deep and long, and only one dusty trinket stand inside. The cave is full of countless representations of the Buddha, hence the name. Old musty wall paintings, worn stone carvings, a long winding branching tunnel with almost no one in it, and finally, at the very end, a cave with an enormous dusty Buddha. As I stood watching a lone man repeatedly kowtowing, I could imagine that the steady buzz of the florescent light was the sound of distant monks chanting. It was very moving. This cave was used by the monks from at least 500 years ago and there are some huge rusted doors and a number of character carvings in stone worn down by many hands. Everything seems very ancient and secret…not like the typical Disneyland treatment that cultural relics get here. It seemed as real as say, Tikal. But this country is expert at fakes, so who knows.

After we left, we went to a restaurant and had some great food. Mapo Tofu, the best I’ve ever had. Perfect degree of heat, and even the stinky smell it’s supposed to have but never does in the US. Also several other dishes I’d never heard of. And of course dumplings. Very good. I also had some new and yummy snacks from my friends. Gena is from Inner Mongolia, and had a few local specialties to share. Hen hao chi.

Later, Stephanie and her mom brought over some quilts for me to soften the rock-hard dorm bed and keep me warm. So sweet. Her mom is so warm and kind. I felt very cared for. Then I called Grace. So good to talk to her, even though the connection was frustrating. An excellent day. School tomorrow…