The Goddess of Mercy
Then, we climbed into the coaster again and we went to the Golden Buddha or so I call her. I think it is better known as the South Seas Guan Yin. This is one of my favorite spots during the tour. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she stands 100 feet tall and is made of pure gold. Jane told me the story of its inauguration/blessing - It has been said that on the day of its blessing, the weather was really bad. Really stormy; skies were dark. But during the blessing, the skies opened up and a ray of sunlight was cast upon the statue. There and only there.
The Goddess & the Wannabe
In her left hand she holds something that resembles the steering wheel of a boat or water vessel. It is said that she also protects those who travel. I've seen her before in pictures but it's so much more different when you're actually there gazing at it. I am awed by its sheer size and then you realize the huge effort that was put into creating the statue, building her shrine, assembling the statue and maintaining it. She's so beautiful. The entrance to her shrine virtually gives you a back door entrance. But as you come up the path leading to her shrine, you see her immediately because she is so tall...
Beautiful and awesome...
Afterwards, we went to another part of the park that had a bridge and a pagoda with a view of the sea. It was a bit foggy but if the skies were clearer, Ricky said that the outline of a mountain in the distance looks like a Buddha lying on his back.
We trooped back to the hotel, had dinner then went to the market at the back of the temple to buy fruits and materials for the offering early next morning. Some of them would be going to the temple at around 2:30 a.m. then another visit at 5:30 a.m., this time, all of us would be going there.
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