The Sacred and the Profane

The Sacred: Scenes from the Longhua Ta temple complex in SW Shanghai.

And the profane...the "Raffles" shopping complex near the People's Square in Shanghai







3 August 2005

We're expanding our perimeter. The subway system here is excellent (easier than NYC) and it's air conditioned. So it's possible to walk from campus to the subway, cool off on your way to some destination and then dash through the heat to the next air conditioned space. The locals reflexively fan themselves with anything at hand--from classic folding fans to subway tickets. I found myself joining in today with my Chinese dictionary and then a tourist map that produced more air.

Shanghai is booming and there are large areas of upscale shopping. But there are small remnants of the past like the Budhist temple I visited this afternoon. The temple, while not pristine, was a pocket of calm tucked away from the rush of the city.