According to inscribed marble tablets found during restoration, the history of the original Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple dates back over 400 years. Since that period the temple has survived earthquakes, fires and the destruction of the “Smash the Four Olds” of the Cultural Revolution. It has been rebuilt numerous times, most recently in 2012 as … [Read more…]
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Old Theatre Inn featured in U.S. media A recent article in the Wall Street Journal interviewed Ginkgo Society Founder, Chris Barclay with the aim of understanding cultural heritage preservation in China’s hospitality sector. Chris began restoring the Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple in early 2012 as well as Old Theatre Inn, in which he is currently … [Read more…]
The enduring art of Shaxi temple painting Prior our recent restoration work, the last known major renovation to 慈荫庵 or the Pear Orchard Temple was 1916. This is documented on the ridge beam of the Jade Emperor shrine at the highest construction of the temple complex. Before removing old plaster or taking down entire walls, … [Read more…]
A touching story of Shaxi In March, the media production company Yi Tiao (一条) brought a crew to Old Theatre Inn to film the story of how Chris and Nam Barclay met local school teacher Wu Yunxin, and began their journey in the Tea Horse Road market town of Shaxi Yunnan. Their shared dream was to rebuild … [Read more…]
Eco-friendly toilets for the Temple February 27, 2016 by Chris Leave a Comment
Locally designed and built eco-friendly toilets promote sustainability in Shaxi From the time we began work on the temple, we knew we would have to completely rebuild the temple public toilets, which were no more than a hole in the ground. The main challenges were that we would need permissions from the village to increase … [Read more…] Posted in: Construction The Great Compassion MantraNovember 30, 2015 by Chris Leave a Comment | Edit Shaxi temple ceremony for Hannah Barclay On November 17th, the Barclay family returned to the Pear Orchard Temple to give thanks for their daughter Hannah and receive a protective prayer for her from the Diantou Village elders. The local priest led the Shaxi temple ceremony, which consisted of an hour of chanting and offerings to … [Read more…] Posted in: Local Culture, Worship Tagged: Shaxi fertility temple, Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple, Shaxi temple Shaxi service learning projects - September 20, 2015 by Chris Leave a Comment Experiential programs for international school students in Shaxi As part of our commitment to sustainable development in Shaxi Yunnan, the Ginkgo Society supports Shaxi service learning programs that promote cultural exchange and contribution to the greater Shaxi community. This month we welcomed sustainable tourism graduate students from the U.S. who took a guided tour of the Pear Orchard Temple and worked on a local farm. The group was expertly led by HiddenChina tours, and included one night accommodation at the Li Family Courtyard, a homestay family experience established by the Ginkgo Society in 2012 for international school groups. The students harvested corn and brought it back to Duan Village, where they distributed it to local families. At the Pear Orchard Temple the students learned about the history of Azhali Buddhism in Shaxi and enjoyed a traditional music performance at Old Theatre Inn. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Local Culture, Service learning Tagged: Community service, International school groups in Shaxi, Service learning Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple update – August 2015 by Chris Leave a Comment This August we welcomed members from the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism, who visited the Pear Orchard Temple. The group had just attended a conference in Lijiang and were eager to see the new developments in Shaxi, especially to understand how the Pear Orchard’s role in sustainable travel promotion would affect local tourism. They were taken on a tour of the temple by Old Theatre Inn Partner and local tourism official, Mr. Wu Yunxin, who explained the temple’s unique history and the methodology for restoration.That day, the group had lunch on the temple’s upper terrace, where they were treated to a performance by the local village’s Bai women’s dance troupe and had a chance to learn the dance themselves. That same day, a ceremony was being held by local religious leaders to prayed before the image of Guan Yin in the main hall (See video below). Local women and children received the visitors with a prayer for their safe travels. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Local Culture, Social Events, Worship Shaxi temple design update Posted by Chris on April 22, 2015 Leave a Comment We began our work on Ci Yin An (慈荫庵) – Sheltered Mercy Nunnery, (the Pear Orchard Temple) in thanks for the birth of our daughter. As we planned our work, we realized that the Elders of Diantou Village had stories about the temple which were the only records of what the ancient Shaxi temple used to look like and how it functioned. We talked to these people in the village in order to get a clearer picture whether or not we would bring back some of these practices or features in our Shaxi temple design, and how to balance them with modern considerations, our budget and the overall aesthetic of the place. One of the Elders told us that the temple served as a village clock and warning centre. These functions were carried out by the gatekeeper who stayed in the temple who would strike a large bronze bell. In case of a fire or a thief in the village, the bell would sound. To mark the beginning of temple ceremonies and the end of the working day, the bell would also be rung. According to the Elders, the Ci Yin An temple bell was taken away by Red Guards during the “Smash the Four Olds” 破四旧 campaign at the end of 1966, when such things were considered superstitious and anti-Proletarian. The was the same time when the two resident nuns were driven out and their dormitories destroyed. The bell was one of many aspects of our Shaxi temple design plan that we did not include in our original budget but as we worked, looked for one that might be suitable as a replacement. One day last Summer while in Guilin, I was rummaging through an antique stall in the Bird and Flower Market and under some dusty lattice windows spotted what looked to be a bronze bell. As I cleared away the jumble of wooden frames, I saw that this was a temple bell with the two typical inscriptions, one on each side: 国泰平安， 风调雨顺 (The country flourishes and the people live in peace, Winds are favorable and the rains are timely). The shop keeper told me it dated from the late Qing Dynasty, was made somewhere in the North. He didn’t have many customers looking for such a huge bell (it weighed over 200 pounds) but when I told him it was for a temple in Yunnan whose bell had been lost, he gave me a favorable price of 4,000 yuan, including crating and shipping to Shaxi. I decided it was worth the price and had him prepare it to ship. Once at the temple, we needed to re-create the sizable wooden frame from which to suspend the bell and put it back outside the corner of the main hall where the bell had once hung. With help from our master carpenter and project leader, Mr. Yang, the frame was built and the bell restored to its rightful place. Since the temple bells don’t have clappers, we got a section of wooden fence post which was wrapped in red cloth to sound the bell. Apart from this large bell, we learned that there were chimes 风铃 under the corners of the pagoda roof, which were thought to keep away bad spirits and prevent birds from nesting under the eaves. We replaced these small bells at the end of our structural work as we began the decoration phase, using small bronze chimes that we found in a distant temple supply shop. Lanterns and their placement were also a subject of discussion. For the local people, red lanterns are auspicious, festive and more lanterns = better. However, this is not traditionally the case with nunneries, and lanterns were typically lit and hung only in halls of worship and during certain festivals held at the temple. The other issue was that since there was only one electric line in the whole temple which ran from the street to the legacy kitchen and main gate, we would have to re-wire the temple to accommodate comprehensive lighting anyway and fire safety rules would not allow for open flame lighting. We compromised by removing lanterns from the main entrance, relocating the electrical panel away from this area and putting up eight compact size traditional lanterns around the temple’s interior walkways which can be lit for ceremonies. We purchased two typical painted glass and wood temple hall lanterns about 40 x 60cm in size and hung them from the main ridge beam above Guan Yin in the main hall. Since the hall remained very dark, I designed two sets of hanging lamps that resemble the nesting incense coils of Southern Chinese Buddhist temples. When seeking consultation on designing the main courtyard, one of the Elder women mentioned that there was a large urn, which she says was filled with water in case of fire during the dry season. Since we had installed a pressurized water system with a large auxiliary tank and cistern, we didn’t feel the urn was warranted for fire suppression, but we wanted to do our best to replace what had been lost. We began looking in the nearby town of Dian Nan 甸南, famous for stone memorials and decorative stone animals for buildings. We found that we could commission a stone urn with temple specific carvings for around 6,000 yuan. Since it was outside of our budget, we waited until late last year to make and install it in the main courtyard, along with two sets of stone tables for people to play chess. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Design, Vernacular Styles Cultural learning for American students in Shaxi Posted by Chris on January 2, 2015 Leave a Comment In November, students from Boston University Shanghai Center attended a day of cultural activities at the Sheltered Mercy Nunnery (Pear Orchard Temple). The group stayed at the Li Family Courtyard in nearby Xiake Village, a favorite homestay accommodation option for student groups in Shaxi. With a two-day itinerary provided by the Ginkgo Society, the group spent time working in local fields and gathering vegetables that they would later cook in the Pear Orchard Temple’s new kitchen. The group learned local bread making from a famous Shaxi baker, tried their hand at hemp rope making and basket weaving. They enjoyed a dance performance by the Diantou Village Ladies’ Dance Troupe, led by Mrs. Yang Yu Ju, who is also the head chef at the temple. Diantou Village Elders’ Council Chief Mr. Luo Jing Wen spoke to the students about how life has changed in the village over the past 10 years. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Uncategorized Summer Harvest Party at the Shaxi temple Posted by Chris on September 23, 2014 Leave a Comment We recently celebrated our completion of structural renovation at the Shaxi temple with a wine tasting party courtesy of Torres Wines. Guests from nine countries came from Shaxi, Dali and Kunming to enjoy the party on Saturday with a traditional music performance, followed by Sunday brunch on the terrace. We’re looking forward to making the Summer Harvest Party a tradition at the Shaxi temple that will offer wine, music and the best of Shaxi hospitality. Welcome to the Pear Orchard Temple, a newly restored Ming Dynasty folk temple in Yunnan China. This August 16th and 17th we’re celebrating the completion of the Pear Orchard Shaxi temple renovation for the past two years. We are also opening our Shaxi temple restaurant the Pear Blossom, featuring organic and vegetarian dishes from local sources. The Shaxi Summer Harvest Party will feature:
You will also find the story of this Shaxi temple and its role in Shaxi folk religion. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Social Events Where the light gets in Posted by Chris on June 27, 2014 1 Comment Shaxi temple restoration project nears completion This month, I’m so pleased to write that after nearly two and a half years, all structural work on the Sheltered Mercy Nunnery (Pear Orchard Temple) is complete. All that remains are the details of decorative painting. Some big improvements that we made in the past month were a functioning water system (including fire suppression), a new kitchen, a 100-year retaining wall, a 100 square meter sun terrace, exterior lighting and basic furnishings. This is the 2nd major Shaxi temple restoration project after the Swiss team completed the Duan Village Theatre Temple (now part of Old Theatre Inn) and the large Buddhist temple in Sideng, Xingjiao Si (兴教寺) In remembrance of why Nam and I embarked on this project in the first place, I’ve posted the video below on YouTube (the Chinese version 中文版 is immediately following). These will be part of the media display in the upcoming temple gallery. I want to thank British composer Max Richter and Mute Song Ltd. for allowing us to license his music, On the Nature of Daylight. A Selection of Before and After Restoration Photos 2012-2014 >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Design, Vernacular Styles | Tagged: Pear Orchard Temple, Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple, Shaxi Yunnan temple, The Pear Orchard Temple Shaxi The extra mile Posted by Chris on May 17, 2014 Leave a Comment Begin with the end in mind – the Yunnan temple project nears completionIn the home stretch, this week our Yunnn temple project began installing lighting after nearly a month of wiring the entire temple for electric for the first time in its history. Every room has multiple power points, lighting fixtures and switches, as well as GFI outlets for the kitchen with a dedicated 330v line for our bread oven. After clearing away cactus and brushy overgrowth, we discovered that the slope over which we would place our view deck was dangerously unstable. This would require some serious geo-engineering to prevent future landslips, so we began the labor-intensive and time-consuming task of building a steel-reinforced stepped retaining wall, the materials for which would all have to be ported in manually through a narrow opening between the slope and main hall back wall. To prepare proper drainage and grading for the Jade Emperor, our Yunnan temple project had to excavate through centuries of accumulated soil and remove tons of it by hand. Once that was done, we then needed another ton of rocks and sand to mix concrete on site for the deck, which was done with the assistance of four donkeys. All of this above and beyond work ensures that for the next hundred years, the temple will be free of any major repairs. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Construction, Design Snow falling on cedars Posted by Chris on January 14, 2014 2 Comments Construction continues through Winter at the Shaxi nunneryBy the end of December, it was snowing in Northwest Yunnan, but like postal carriers, our team was undeterred by temperatures in the single digits and carried on working at the Shaxi nunnery (Pear Orchard Temple. It did significantly slow our work, particularly on slippery roofs. Water in the plaster pools froze and paint took a very long time to dry in the wet cold. While originally expecting to be finished by Christmas, we extended the completion date by a month to account for cold weather delays. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Construction, Design | Tagged: Jade Emperor From the ground up Posted by Chris on December 18, 2013 Leave a Comment One of the largest Shaxi temples undergoes major restorationIf you want to restore a crumbling Chinese temple, start with the understanding that it would be cheaper to build a new one from the ground up. This restoration project total investment is now over $100k USD and we’re far from done, though about half of the major structural work will be done by Christmas, just a week away. In total, we have replaced every floor, roof and nearly every window of the original Ming Dynasty era Shaxi temples. This week we demolished a 10m long wall opposite the Sakyamuni Buddha altar, which was leaning in and near collapse. The original wall was build on a stone footing, which had subsided, so like all of the work undertaken by Mr. Yang’s team, we decided to make the new wall much stronger. We used as much of the existing stone as we could salvage, combined with some new stone to fill a trench which we then stabilized with cement. This new foundation will provide enduring support for the rebuilt rammed earth wall to replace the old one. The rest of our work this week includes completely new roof beams and struts for gables on the Jade Emperor roof, door and window panels for the ground floor of the nun’s quarters, replacing tiles on that roof and pouring new floors for qing brick pavers. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Construction, Design, Vernacular Styles The Jade Emperor Posted by Chris on December 1, 2013 Leave a Comment The upper shrine of The Pear Orchard Temple is devoted to the Jade Emperor (Yu Hang Ge 玉皇阁) the Taoist deity who oversees the three realms of heaven, earth and hell. Housed in the same building below the Jade Emperor is the Sakyamuni Buddha and two arhats (saints or apostles) at his sides. In this courtyard there are two flanking halls with loft rooms, which were dormitories for the nuns who lived here for centuries up until 1960. Though the rooms were nearly completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), our carpenters can see from the few existing wooden frames that there were doors and windows enclosing living spaces for the nuns, which we are restoring to the original. We cut down two 20-foot cypress trees as they were endangering the eaves of the Jade Emperor shrine. We will replace them with large potted trees after all work is finished. This last 20% of restoration work is most difficult given the degree of neglect of the roof and timber supporting this rammed earth and mud brick structure that dates back nearly 500 years. We have removed all roof tiles and cleaned off the lime and moss to replace them using homemade mortar once we have installed an entirely new roof truss. We will also be taking down the spirit wall （照壁) which is leaning in nearly 20 degrees due to earthquake damage. We will shore up the stone foundation and replace the entire 30-foot long wall and tile eaves. We are also replacing all loft floors including beams, and ground floor tamped earth with brick. On the exterior, we’ve removed all loose plaster and applied a mud/plaster/rice husk rendering to which we will apply a smooth finish of lime/mountain grass and pigment. By Christmas, we will have re-built this important building essentially from the ground up, to a quality standard that exceeds it’s original Ming Dynasty construction. >> see the complete post with photos here Posted in: Construction, Vernacular Styles | Tagged: Shaxi China, Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple, Shaxi Yunnan, Tea horse road Shaxi Yunnan, Yunnan China Festival of the Money God Posted by Chris on April 27, 2013 Leave a Comment 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, 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 festival is called Cai Shen Hui 财神会, the money god gathering. >> See the complete post with photos here Posted in: Local Culture, Worship | Tagged: Shaxi China, Shaxi Temple festival, Shaxi Yunnan China, The Pear Orchard Temple Shaxi >> Click here for older posts |