Wesak Day in Shanghai

Wesak Day is not of any significance to the Shanghainese. It is just another Full Moon Day. Shanghaineses visit temple to offer prayers as usual.

I started my day by doing a puja in my apartment. It's the first time I had a proper prayer after I had my altar set up. Feel at peace to start the day with chanting the suttas. I pray that my beloved ones and myself would be bless with good health, happiness and abundance. I pray that they would receive these blessings every day of their lives.

In the afternoon, I catch the No. 43 Bus to XuJiaHui. From there I catch a cab to Longhua Temple. Traffic leading to the temple was heavy as there was a temple fest ongoing. The temple fest was more like a fun fair back home. There were booth for games, food; fortune tellers lining up the sidewalk. There was even a puppet story-teller, dressed in ancient Chinese costume, even came with a pigtail hat.

Longhua Temple is a Mahayana Temple. I found many nice, big Buddha and Guan Yin statues here. Captured many photos of them which I hope to use to design my graphics. I can't find serenity in the temple as it is crowded with people burning bunches of incense. But I felt a sense of celebration ~ a different kind of Wesak celebration away from home.