Long Hua Temple

I went with a friend to a Buddhist temple in Songyuan the other day, Long Hua Temple (good dragon temple). All the temples I've been to in China have been pretty similar, but still very cool. This one was actually still under construction, apparently when it's finished it will be the largest temple in Jilin province. A temple isn't just one building, it's a whole compound, I think this one will have maybe ten buildings when it is complete.

The oil thing is so you remember you're in Songyuan. Or at least in my head it is.

So weird to see a temple under construction.

These were really cool, I haven't seen this yet in a temple. There were hundreds of monk statues lining the walls of the main building. Each was different and individually made.

This made me laugh. It makes sense with all the incense and whatnot, but still.

I am always looking for old, traditional things in China, and in my head temples fall into that category (or at least, they should). I have an issue with new things being built to be positioned as old (like the Italian Concession Area in Nankai, Tianjin). Coming from a marketing background I'm always just thinking they build these new things so tourists will think they are old and come and pay to see them. It occurred to me recently that temples are different though, you don't pay to visit them (for the most part). They have gift shops or whatever, but no entry fee. I guess building new temples in the old style is just one way to preserve old culture. And I am too cynical.