Dong Yue Temple (Make a Wish)

Going to buy our wishes

Our Wishes

Tie them Tight Honey...

Here we are amongst the rest~

Ok, I'll Tie mine tight!~

Hit the Center and Ring the Bell~~

Look still here after the second day!~

Play boy Bunny? Or Rabbit Year?~~



Dong Yue Temple (Make a Wish)

On February 2, 2011 we went to this famous temple that I had walked by numerous times in the year previous, looking and seeing it as another one of the many temples and traditional Chinese Structures in Beijing.  This first time inside after paying the entrance fee of 10 RMB, I was amazed at how many people were in this little place, and in fact how massive it turned out to be. The Chinese culture is all about History, and different beliefs and traditions. This temple is a place where people come and pay respect to the different gods. There is almost, every situation imaginable represented and displayed from; longevity, to the gods of the forest, mountains, and wind. To the different departments that represent judgments’, honesty, disease, and honesty. All displayed in different settings with the judge, or head sitting in front and all others standing at the sides, waiting for their turn to be given a chance to be heard. The other part of this temple which I found to be more fascinating was that you would make a wish on a wooded plaque, and sign your name on it, then you would place 1 of the set of 2 on the section of the temple where it was designated to place that wish. The other you would take home with you and hang...the theory or thought behind is that this would make your wish come true. Know as I love the Chinese Culture and history, this belief struck me as a exciting new thing that I didn’t Know, So I gathered my thoughts and asked Sean way to many questions about the different designs on all the red wooden plaques .so I could try to come to some conclusion on what to wish for in the New Year of the Rabbit. So after 5 minutes of back and forth and his way of saying “honey this is all they have”…we decided on Business, and on a general “all your wishes and dreams come true”, figured that one would cover it…hehehe.

So both wishes are left hanging in the temple, and one now hangs in my office, the business one of course, and the other hangs in my apartment.

So the next day I dragged Sean back to the temple to get another wish that we could share, and to see if the wishes had still stayed there or someone had removed them. But as we didn’t find the wish we wanted together we looked inside for another charm of sorts… we ended up with something even better, a charm of happiness and Longevity. This is what we shared, and it hangs in my apartment as a Daily reminder of the things that have come to pass, and how happy I have become...or trying to become. (And I also checked my two wishes to make sure they were still hanging, yes, a few layers above were placed on it as the day had progressed but I found it. I’m interested to know where they will be hung, as Sean told me that they will be hung for the whole year. If that’s the case I want to each time I go back, revisit the wishes, see how they weather in the heat, sun, and rain of the city…and of course to make sure no one snags them.

The first day we were there it was so crowded and busy, as we were looking and walking at all the different stands I came across something that I had seen before in Beijing, and knew its meaning..that day we passed by it and just looked, as it was our second trip back in I handed Sean some money before we got into the temple ( as the Chinese Vendors  will give a lower price 9 times out of 10 to a local ) and we discussed that I want to get the walnut bracelet we had seen the day prior…so as we arrived to the table my honey did his thing , talked with the vendor and got to hear all about the bracelet and also the vendor told him how to clean, and how to make it look better, so as he gestured over to me, I smiled and agreed at the one he had , and the vendor also was introducing to him..So the bracelet keeps my hands busy, and also represents tradition, and cultural awareness. More so the meaning to me as it was something that Sean helped me pick out, now for me this is a good thing, although sometimes the cultures see it not that way, I think the opposite!~ Something picked out , has a deep meaning..More special than if just bought by the one who wanted it… it was for sure a temple day…morning one temple afternoon on the second day another..Walking the city...Was a nice bit of exercise, the time seemed to fly as when your with the special one, you tend to forget things….but as a reminder 15 minutes is 15 minutes, and not 30minutes…just as a friendly reminder..hehehehe ( oh I’m sure you’re going to  kill me over that one..heheheh~~Kisses!