Week 9

Hey everyone! Before I leave China, I’m making two final visits to two temples. Shuilu’an in Linyi is well known for its almost 4000 intricate and unique clay sculptures lining the walls, detailing the life of Sakyamuni/Siddartha Gautama. It is also known for being one of 30+ real-life locations that the hit action RPG Black Myth: Wukong was based off of, which helped it gain more popularity as a tourist attraction (although still not as crowded as some real tourist hotspots, like the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda). I also visited the Small Wild Goose Pagoda located in Chang’an, the historic capital of the Han and Tang dynasties. Unlike other temples I visited, which were a combination of tourist attractions and functional sites of worship, this one no longer serves its original purpose as a temple.

That’s all for now. I’m finally returning from China, just as this senior project is starting to wrap up. See you all next week (for what may possibly be the last time)!