The first picture is the outside of the "junk" store, and the second shows some of the stuff. I thought it looked pretty much like any other second hand store, except more oriental artifacts.
The next picture shows the ever present temple near the Hutong. I didn't keep track of which temple was used for which religion, but I think most were either Buddhist or Taoist. Apparently traditional Chinese beliefs are a combination of religion and philosophy, with ancestor veneration, astrology, numerology and Emperor worship (although not as Deity ) mixed in. They definitely had a concept of a power outside themselves, but were pursuing a variety of ways to connect. It reminded me of the book of Acts in the Bible when Paul was addressing the Athenians and noted the altar "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD". (Acts 17: 23-31) Allen, our local guide explained that the government doesn't care what religion the people practice, but they can't try to persuade others to follow it too. He indicated that groups of more than three people are looked on with suspicion, so most practice their beliefs individually.
The final picture is a peek inside one of the neighborhood courthyards. There are usually up to nine homes sharing a courtyard -- often with extended family living together. In this case, an elderly lady shooed us away before I could take any more pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment