During my time in China over the past 11 years, I found an incredible place in the town of Panyu, Guangzhou called Lianhuashan, which means Lotus Hill Park. There are three main areas to see here, the tall gilded statue of Bhudda, the 3,000 year old quarry and the Lotus ponds. Each of these is beautiful in it’s own way.
The statue of Bhudda and associated large temple have a steady stream of people coming to pray and worship and are a source of comfort to many.
The ancient quarry has now become one very large garden and is a place that on it’s own can consume your whole day. I have spent many hours walking, photographing and taking in the beauty here. The rock that was quarried here is a dark pink which, over the years has become stained with browns and greens from the vegetation growing on and around it.
The Lotus ponds are a delight. There are many species of Lotus on display and they all seem to have their own character. Most are beautiful, some look decidedly scruffy. As with everything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
This image shows the 70 meter tall Bhudda statue that so many people come to worship. In the foreground there are some some incense sticks burning.
Placed around the statue are a series of ornate fire pits. These are used for burning the paper symbols that most worshippers bring. An example of these is shown in the following image.
Shown here are people praying in front of the Bhudda statue and in front of them are some typical paper symbols brought to burn in the fire pits located around the statue.
So many thoughts and emotion come to mind when I look at this image. It depicts a father teaching his son how to pray to the Bhudda. The handbag shows that mum is with them, but maybe she stepped aside quietly to allow them this moment together. I’d like to think that this is a treasured time for the two of them, a fond memory to look back on later in life.