A Respectful Toddler in Jing'an Temple

I put in a humble three hours of work yesterday and then prepped E for our sweaty visit to a Shanghai temple: Jing’an, located right above the Metro stop known by the same name. The locals tell me Jing’an means “peace and tranquility”, just the ambiance we were seeking on this hot and sticky kind of day.  I’ve grown increasingly addicted to the challenges of maneuvering E around the big city and am constantly on the lookout for opportunities to up the stakes.  Today I tried to channel the limbs of an octopus and threw an umbrella into the mix of “must-have” items that accompany us on each of our jaunts.  With our cumbersome camera, clammy black backpack, and rickety stroller in tow, we must resemble a traveling circus.

Jing’an is under reconstruction, but still worth a visit; as an active Buddhist temple it is quite stunning to see ancient architecture juxtaposed against the skyline of a modern metropolis. It was moved from its original location on Suzhou Creek, oh, about 800 flippin’ years ago! Its most spellbinding features include the Ming Dynasty copper bell, weighing about 3.5 tons, and a 3.8 meter Buddha sitting contentedly in one of the cool and breezy main halls. When E spotted the tranquil Buddha he promptly pointed up with confidence and declared, “ba-bee”.  Once back in the courtyard, he was more obsessed with our rose colored umbrella than the mesmerizing, burning incense but since he’s just over a year old we’ll give him a pass.

I’d read that in the 1930s, Jing’an was Shanghai’s wealthiest Buddhist temple and was controlled by the august Khi Vehdu, an abbot known best for his team of White Russian bodyguards (and his concubines). It’s been said that the White Russians guarded him closely with bulletproof briefcases in the event of an attack.  Of course, all this talk about White Russians simply made me thirsty for a cool drink.

On the way home we hit the grocery store to pick up some eggs and snap food photos for GTia and in the process met up with a squad of ladies who’ve been unfailingly trying to teach E to say “ni-hao” - only to be met with a default “how, how” response and a goofy smile.  It’s difficult to be friends with a baby celebrity, but on the upshot, nobody cares if the proverbial sidekick has had a bad hair day.  

Yummy bean buns?  Steamed dumplings? Dried meat in bulk?  Time to return the camera to its bag and think about supper and reuniting our family pack for the day.