Putuoshan (Lotus Island)

Guanyin sees and knows all and she'll always help you out.

This last weekend we spent our time in Putuoshan, a Buddhist island off the coast "near" Shanghai. The island is home to Guanyin the Compassionate, a Bodhisattva usually portrayed in a female form. The statue is huge and can be seen from many points on the island.

According to our itinerary, we were going to leave ECNU at 7am and arrive in Putuoshan early that afternoon, a 6-hour drive. Little did we know that we would abandon 4 hungover students to their own devices (they missed the bus) and embark on a 12-hour journey to paradise. We took a bus, a ferry, another bus, and a speedboat before we finally arrived. Exhausted, we piled into the island shuttle to our hotel. At some point, we picked up a guide on the side of the road who dutifully explained to us "Don't go swimming. There sharks! You can take off shoes but NO YOUR PANTS!"

After retrieving our passports from the hotel staff and switching rooms to accomodate the cockroach-queasy, we headed to the beach. It was completely dark but we managed to find our way down a well-paved path. Once at the beach, we realized we'd found a truly amazing place. The sand was soft, flat, and stretched for miles. We played around on the sand and looked out at the lights on the water. Meghan and I did some sprints and push-ups. Then it was bed time.

The next day we ate an interesting pickled breakfast buffet type deal and headed out. We saw temple after temple and walked everywhere. It was so humid I could hardly breathe. The guide just said "WE GO NOW!" every time he ended a little lecture on the island's history. We ate in a fantastic vegetarian restaurant and celebrated Meghan and Dai Laoshi's birthdays with a pound cake. Vegetarian fare is a supremely safe option for those of us with meat issues. I ate everything.

John the tour guide.

The hexagon view.

Small rock shrine with joss sticks.

My favorite temple was a quiet one in the woods near our hotel. Tourist sites are so packed in China that the one with the least people automatically has to be my favorite.

Peaceful temple.

Dinner was a raucous affair with everyone present even though it was optional. Our group gets along so well (all 30 of us) that we enjoy spending all our time together. It's fantastic! From there we headed to a poolside bar with a nice breeze and expensive beverages. We quickly headed out to the sand to have our own party. Though a bonfire was suggested, I thought the Chinese authorities might not approve of some foreign rave on their pristine beach. We kept everything quite flame-less. Questionable decision-making ensued, but in the end I was glad to discover that even the polluted water of the Chinese sea has phosphorescence! The green sparkles were awesome!

Lost room key aside, the time spent at Putuoshan was well worth the trip. Our return journey was quite hassle-free and calm. Homework time!

ellen