I watched the Chinese New Years gala last night live from start to finish (which means I slept at 3:30 in the morning). Naturally I slept in, and we actually got there at around 1:00 in the afternoon. It was a road trip of a little more than an hour (according to google maps) and there was a stretch of highway 33 km long. The trip itself was actually quite relaxing, and I listened to my iPod all the way.
I like going to temples, especially temples in Australia, it's always quite peaceful. If you went in China or Hong Kong, it'll be packed and there'll be whole crowds of people squeezing around every body around and holding lit incense over their heads and it'll be so so noisy. But it's quieter in Australia.
Everything was outrageously expensive, a pack of 15 sticks of incense is $10, having a year-long incense lit for you is $60 for one person and $100 for the whole family. My Grandma already lit them for me in China already, so I didn't need to do it here.
When we came back we went to Bankstown RSL for the all you can eat buffet. All the food was nice and I definitely over-ate. I'm still not feeling very comfortable.
So, photos! (photography not allowed inside the temple halls themselves)
This statue was in the car park
Entrance temple
I like this angle (is this low shot or high shot?)
You can pay to have your name or your family's name under these lanterns, which brings good luck etc.
Those red ribbons are for good studying with old style Chinese coins as weights at the bottom and you throw it onto the tree.
I really like the smell of incense, is that strange?
I like this quote.
A bell that sends gratitude back to your parents. I rang this (3 times)
Words on the bell
Apparently ashes are kept in this tower, so it's best not to go in and disturb their peace
Reading! This is my sort of god/saint I don't know what you call it in English
Lotus pond
I can't resist taking shots of flowers, I really can't. I took so many
These fish are huge, I think some of them are the length of my forearm. They must cost a fortune.
i went to NTT on new years day or something, the golden tree with the red stuff wasn't there before!
ReplyDelete... and i never knew there was a bell. :o
I tried to take pics of the lotus, but couldn't get a good shot. or a well blooming flower.
I watched half of the gala too! some of the shows were hilarious, i especially loved the ones where they act out a story. AND THE STAGE WAS GORGEOUS. Whoever invented he idea of cube blocks which can shift up and down to make pictures IS A GENIUS.
...and the magician guy was pro as usual, with the mirror and macaroons.
I'll stop ranting now.
I think the people who made the stage and the background/projections are really really good. It looks 3D-ish.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the acting out the story too (about the legend of the Nian monster, right?) I'm biased because I really like Hangeng, but his routine fit in really well with the animation.
Ahh, i didn't watch the nian monster thing, but I was referring to the one where the guy interviewed a furniture mover or something, and thought he was a thief and everything. And there was one where the husband wanted to make his wife happy and so he made this other guy pretend to be their future son. And then there was one where a drunk woman thought this guy was her husband, and the man's actual woman started questioning him or something.
ReplyDeleteAnd the performances were, OHMAIGAWD.
Whose Hangeng?
I like those, they're funny. It's a little strange that they always always end in a really teary/I love you all/I'm so touched note? They sometimes make me cringe from second-hand embarrassment though.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, he's just a star, used to be k-pop (Super Junior), is now back in China going solo.