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Cross China Road Trip 04: Ningxia Autonomous Region, Zhongwei. Stunning Gao Miao Si Temple

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Click here to being a burst of colour to your day

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A couple of hours south of Yinchuan is the city of Zhongwei and its amazing Buddhist temple Gao Miao Si. Entering the courtyard any stresses you may have will immediately fall away, replaced instead by calm and wonder at such beauty.

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The temple is symmetrical and is layered upwards until a steep set of stone steps lead you high up into the final pavilion.

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At ground level the temple reveals a strange secret. During the Cultural Revolution an underground bomb shelter was constructed though was then converted to display the perils that await if you end up going to Hell. Definitely one of the more bizarre things I’ve encountered so far. 

 

 

Categories: China, Chinese Provinces, Cross China Road Trip, On the Road

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19 replies ›

    • Hi Ev – Yes it was totally gorgeous. When you entered the courtyard for the first time it was just ‘Wow, I love this place immediately”. As for the bomb shelter, extraordinary was the only word I had for it ha ha. How are you these days?

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      • Doing fine Andy – still hanging out in Oregon, although in a different spot every week or so. We can’t sit still and always want to know what is further down the road. We will begin our slow journey to Mexico in about 10 days. Happy travels!!

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      • Wow – I love it – Mexico. Now that’s a new one on me. Can’t wait to hear about it. Forgive me for not coming over to your bog these days Ev. Just continually tired at the moment. Just completed 2 days of driving continually through mountain passes like for almost 20 hours on terrible roads

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      • I haven’t written a blog post in ages…maybe two months. Don’t worry about it, seriously. I am just happy you can keep yours going from the remote areas you have been to.

        I hope the rough mountain driving is behind you and you can get some sleep now.

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  4. The temple is so similar to the palaces in Seoul, Korea especially the intricate carving and colour scheme. That spooky place was down right weird, i wouldn’t go even if you paid me! How large was it and did you have to walk from front to end?

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    • I know what you mean. For me though you could tell the temples in South Korea were recently built. Most of Seoul was bombed to bits in the wars so needed to be rebuilt. For me China is really rough round the edges. I think its one of the big reasons I like it here. I’m not sure how big the dungeon was as it was really easy to get lost LOL

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      • True , in Korea everything is like pristine and so well preserved you would be fooled into thinking so, but to me what’s remarkable is the same colour scheme especially the blues, i always wonder whether it was something from the earth that created this colour all across the world. I am not sure I would like it in China and have never been compelled to visit because as you say it is rough and I cannot take abrasive, still i admire the beauty that you share, now that’s spectacular, beauty in the ordinary through your eyes.

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