I love temples. In Japan I spared no opportunity to pop into one if I was in a big city like Kobe or Osaka. Since Buddhism made it's way to Japan from China I supposed that I might find many examples of them in Nanning. Not so, unless they were carefully hidden from me. Nevertheless, my prompting to Xiaoyu that I was so inclined led us, one day, on a trip to the Qingxiu Scenic Spot in the outer suburbs of Nanning.

The grounds of the Guanyin Temple were enormous, so large, in fact, that walking around was not really an option. A fleet of micro-buses ferried weary pilgrims around the enormous circumference of the temple precinct. The central compound of the temple was similar in style to many I had seen in Japan, the practices of worship, prayer and so forth, equally so.

On the way out we became waylaid by a micro-bus and subsequently stranded at an enormous carpark, leaving us no option but to trudge to a crowded bus stop. This didn't bother me, though it seemed to weigh upon Xiaoyu. She said that she didn't like crowds, which I thought was hilarious, given that she lives in China and all.

A couple of shots from the day, one by perhaps the worst photographer in China. The other, by me.