2007 Culture Excursion to Badachu Park
Autumn is the best season to go hiking in Beijing’s Western hills. Badachu Park
is a beautiful park enclosed by the Cuiwei, Pingpo, and Lushi hills. Badachu means
Eight Great Sites, and refers to the eight ancient Buddhist temples and nunneries
which were well preserved over the years. The ancient temples and nunneries were
built at the end of the Sui Dynasty (around 6 centuries), and were renovated during
the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
 Badachu
Park is decorated beautifully with lanterns and streams for the coming traditional "Chong Yang Festival", which is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month,
thus earning its name as the Double Ninth Festival. Many people celebrate the Chong
Yang Festival by hiking up hills in memory of an ancient Chinese family which escaped
plague and death by fleeing to a mountaintop.
 The
most notable structure in the park is the Buddha’s Tooth Relic pagoda, home to one
of the only two Buddha’s Tooth Relics remaining in existence, which is now open
to the public. It represents over 2,500 years of history. Usually, the exhibition
only opens for one week each year. To witness it, is the chance of a lifetime. People
say that anyone who has the opportunity to see the Buddha’s Relic will receive infinite
blessings as the relic carries positive energy to inspire goodness.
 During
this time, thousands of people crowd into the park, hoping to pay respect to Buddha’s
tooth relic, some of them traveling even as far as Hebei province. Devout Buddhists
hold flowers, fruits, and Tibetan HaTa as an offering to Buddha. Meanwhile, others
hold two palms together out of respect and peacefully chant the name of Buddha
After an hour of waiting it was our turn to walk into the sacred pagoda. On the
right, you can see US student Jane’s face light up with pleasure.
The students were curious about the history of Chinese Buddhism. They learned it
was first introduced into China at the beginning of the Eastern Han dynasties around
AD100. At first, it was known only to members of the ruling class. However, during
the period of the Southern and Northern dynasties around AD500 Buddhism was spread
among the common people.
Lunch time！LOTUS prepared plenty of tasty food; hot Chinese pancakes, steamed buns,
sushi, fruit and moon cakes. On the 15th day of August of the lunar calendar, known
to
 the
Chinese as the Moon (or Mid-autumn) Festival, mooncakes hold a special significance,
as the moon is most round and luminescent. The round shape of moon cake further
represents Chinese family reunion. After lunch, students and host families strolled
from one temple to another. In the temple of Great Mercy, we found two 600 year
old trees still growing strong in the yard. Both were covered with thousands of
red lanterns, on which people’s wishes were written, it was a splendid view!
 In
Chinese history, Emperor’s support of Buddhism played an important role in the spread
of Buddhism, as well as the building of temples and beautiful artwork. In front
of an exquisite Zizang Bodhisattvas Hall,
Lotus happy family took a picture.
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