The Pear Orchard Temple in Shaxi pays homage to a range of dieties from China’s religious traditions. There is a shrine to the Taoist Jade Emperor, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, the Sakyamuni Buddha in meditation and Cai Shen (财神), the folk god of wealth. These icons are represented in a mix of forms that reflects the Bai people of Shaxi’s historical origins, which include influences from Tibetan, Indian and Han Chinese religious pantheons.
I was in Shaxi these past few weeks working on initiatives for the Old Theatre Inn and leading a group from the Shanghai American School on a 4-day experiential learning program. So it was really fortuitous that on the day I brought the 18 students to the temple, there happened to be an annual festival taking place. This Shaxi temple festival is called Cai Shen Hui 财神会, the gathering for the god of wealth.
Local women offer praise for the Goddess of Mercy
Lighting candles for the god of prosperity 财神
A late breakfast of rice porridge
Paper offerings
Students watching a Mahjong game
Offerings for Guan Yin
Catching up on village gossip
Cooking potatoes in the communal kitchen
Enjoying the April sun