On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
JanieM
Most of these were taken at Qing Yun Si, or Blue Cloud temple, which was in the process of being restored. As with our trip to the Great Wall, there were very few other visitors that day. One of monks welcomed us and talked to us briefly about the restoration effort, but otherwise we were left to explore on our own.
The site was on the outskirts of the far side of the city, so we took a cab to get there. At the end of the visit, as we left the temple, a woman on the street greeted us and told us she had seen us arrive in a cab, but that it would be much cheaper to take the bus back into town. And she was going that way, so she could show us the right bus.
This was the woman I mentioned a couple of sets back, who said we should move to Yulin because it had the best water in the world for your skin. She wasn’t the only person I met who thought we should move to China, but she was the only stranger who engaged us like this. It was a little unnerving to think she had watched us come, and somehow managed to be around a couple of hours later when we left, but nothing untoward came of the encounter. She waved us on our way when we got off the bus downtown, and that was the end of that.
Lingxiao Tower is a little off to the side of the rest of the complex. We didn’t try to go inside it.
The temple was big and sprawling, with layers and levels and stairs and twisty passages. But there were a lot of outdoor courtyards that helped us reorient ourselves as we went along.
A ceiling not yet restored to the kind of spiffy color we’d seen in similar places in Beijing.
But restoration was under way.
I did love the rooftops in China, and all the color and ornamentation.
The entrance to an abandoned cave dwelling not far from the temple.
The view inside.
Curiosity.
The Golux
These are great. The second one makes me think of Escher’s Ascending and Descending.
WaterGirl
@The Golux: I loved that work by Escher, especially when I was in my 20s.
SkyBluePink
Very interesting!
Love the rooftop photo!
Steve from Mendocino
I really enjoy how the color of the kid’s clothes make him jump out of the frame. Great shot.
dnfree
I love seeing these temple photos. We too loved the elaborate roofs. We were told that there was a roof heirarchy—you couldn’t have a roof too high or elaborate for your status, and certain colors were reserved for certain social ranks.