The Ghost City of Fengdu
25/08/09 12:00 Filed in: 2009 China
Today’s excursion, shipmates, is to the Ghost City of Fengdu, on Mount Ming.
This is a Taoist/Buddhist/Confucianist temple complex designed to show you what the afterlife if going to be like for you if you are naughty, and encourage you to be good. Quite entertaining, but not in the same league as the Lama Temple of Beijing (see Military and monks). The dioramas of torture were like a 3-D cartoony version of Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights.
That evening we had the conference dinner, a splendid affair with the usual good food and quaffable local wine.
By the way, concerning temperatures...my little hiking compass managed to hit 109 F (43 C) on the boat in the shade. Generally when we were on our visits the temperature ranged from (90 to 100) F or (32 to 38) C. Pretty hot and sweaty!
Photos are here: Tuesday 25
Ian