For the average Chengdu resident it probably is not the most interesting thing, but for the foreigners, especially those who are ready to explore, Chengdu metros might be one of the first things, which they may become curious about. Therefore, we present you a series of metro stations in order to introduce Chengdu in an approachable way.This week, we want to introduce you the Wenshu Monastery!
Wenshu Monastery (Manjushri Monastery), located at Exit K of Metro: Wenshu Yuan. It is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu.
In 1681, Cidu, an accomplished Buddhist monk came to the temple. He built a simple hut between two trees and for several years lived an ascetic life there. According to legend when Cidu was being cremated, the statue of Wensu (Bodhisattva Manjusri in Sanskrit) appeared in the flames, staying for a long time. So people regarded Cidu as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjusri(Wenshu in Chinese). Thereafter, the temple is called Wenshu Monastery.
Cultural relics are the highlights of Wenshu Monastery. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here.
In addition to its cultural relics, Wenshu Monastery is famous for its exquisite garden and solemn halls. Tourists and locals can also enjoy vegetarian food in the Buddhist Restaurant while listening to music by folk artists.
Therefore, it is a perfect place to explore the ancient China and have traditional dishes in a 14 million city like Chengdu. We are looking forward to take the entire InternChina team there!
Going to Chengdu will be a great experience. Look for an internship and apply now.
Being a Vegetarian in China can sometimes be a daunting “task”. You’re living in a country where there is meat in almost every dish and people are normally not too understanding about not eating meat. But you are also in the country that invented tofu, the country that has fresh vegetables in most dishes AND a variety of dishes which seems to be incomparable to what we have in Europe!
I have been a vegetarian for more than 13 years now, including not eating any seafood, fish and hardly any eggs, and I have travelled to China quite often as well. If you don’t speak any Chinese, it might be difficult for you to make yourself understood about your wishes. So in the following weeks, I want to share some of my tips and tricks on how to get around as a vegetarian without having to abandon too many of your principles and still being able to go out with your internship company colleagues, with us for our weekly Intern China dinners, with friends and of course with your host family. 🙂
Today I want to introduce the easiest way for having a really nice dinner in Qingdao: We have a Vegetarian restaurant called “Crystal Lotus Vegetarian Diet & Tea House, 清水连素膳茗坊” (No. 6 Yan’erdaolu, 燕尔岛路6号 ).
“Crystal Lotus” is definitely not one of the cheapest restaurants, I have to admit. But it’s located in central Qingdao, easy to find, really good looking cosy furniture and an amazing service. The first time I went there, I waited outside for a friend and they asked me to come inside, have some tea and warm up. They are really nice and welcoming; as soon as my friend came they brought us to a free table. The menu is great, a lot of pictures (if you can’t read any Chinese), you get everything from starters over mock-meat Beijing duck to soup and “dessert”. The waitress was very kind and attentive, and also asked if we can eat onions, garlic, coriander and ginger.
If you are still new to Qingdao, this should be one of the first places to go, since you won’t have any unpleasant surprises here!
Join me next time I visit “Crystal Lotus”. Send us your application for language classes and/or an internship to info@internchina.com or apply directly through our website!