JIAOLONG TEMPLE
Jiāolóng Sì (蛟龙寺) is on a hillside overlooking the village of Qīnggăng (青岗), about 20km south of Lanzhou on the old road to Línxià (临夏). Getting there: Bus #307 from the southside of the overpass, to the west of Xiăo Xīhú (小西湖). 2 yuan.
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At the temple
It was busy, as there were people celebrating the holy day of Ksitigarbha (Dìzàng 地藏), aBodhisattva Buddhist idol (Púsà 菩萨), the guardian of the Earth, who vowed "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha." Halfway up the hill, the area outside the Chinese-style buddhist temple was being used by worshippers to burn symbolic paper. They were leaving small gifts of fruit, nuts, and steamed bread on tables aboutside the door, and inside, prayers were being sung.
Tibetan influence
Given that this is the gateway to the Tibetan autonomous counties in South Gansu, the small Tibetan temple and stupor, high up on the hill, and prayerflags on the summit, seem appropriate.
It was busy, as there were people celebrating the holy day of Ksitigarbha (Dìzàng 地藏), aBodhisattva Buddhist idol (Púsà 菩萨), the guardian of the Earth, who vowed "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha." Halfway up the hill, the area outside the Chinese-style buddhist temple was being used by worshippers to burn symbolic paper. They were leaving small gifts of fruit, nuts, and steamed bread on tables aboutside the door, and inside, prayers were being sung.
Tibetan influence
Given that this is the gateway to the Tibetan autonomous counties in South Gansu, the small Tibetan temple and stupor, high up on the hill, and prayerflags on the summit, seem appropriate.
