Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple

Tuesday June 22
Today we arrived in Shanghai, home of the 2010 Expo. Shanghai is a city of 25 million people and right now it is busier than ever because each day hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive to experience the world through the expo exhibitions. More about the expo is to come, because we will spend our entire day there tomorrow.
Upon our arrival, our tour bus entered a narrow street, an alleyway really, which is home to the Jade Buddha Temple. An oncoming tour bus blocked the road, because it was not over far enough. The buses honked at each other until our guide said simply, “We can get out here and walk.” While waited to enter the temple the two drivers plus the driver of taxi trapped behind us, shouted at each other in the street. I imagine the conversation went something like this. “You moron, move your bus.” “No, you move your bus, I was here first…” This was remarkable because in all the traffic we have experienced, in all the times we have approached another vehicle had to stop, back up and try again, this is the first time there has been any degree of anger. Ironically, this confrontation took place in front of the home of the Buddhists monks, known for their serenity and patience.
Inside the temple complex, we observed people kowtowing (bowing down) before figures of the Buddha and bodhisattvas (lesser buddhas), lighting incense and letting it burn as an offering to the Buddha. We also saw thousands of tiny Buddhas. The Buddhas appear temporarily in the temple complex with the name of a benefactor. For a smaller donation Buddhists can tie a red ribbon to the door of the temple, or hang a red ribbon from a lantern, asking the Buddha for help.
Finally, we went to the temple tea room where we tasted a variety of teas, each having its own medicinal properties. We learned that one should always wash their tea leaves before brewing tea. This is something that even our Chinese guide did not know.