Yesterday, George and I took an adventure to a cool place I'd found in my guidebook to Hawaii. Usually, I wouldn't think of a cemetery as a place to go sight-seeing, but of course there are exceptions. Valley of the Temples Memorial Park is a inter-denominational cemetery with a unique cross-cultural mix of East and West. The main "attraction" at the cemetary is the beautiful Byodo-in Buddhist temple at the back of the park. It is a scale replica of a 900-year-old temple located in Uji, Japan. It is a peaceful and contemplative place complete with wild swans and peacocks and large carp swimming in the man-made ponds. The temple houses an enormous gold-leaf Buddha. Adjecent to the temple is large bell that guests to the temple can ring using a large log. The whole park is situated in a lush valley surrounded by large volcanic mountains and facing a bay out to sea. A gem of a place indeed! More pictures here.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Valley of the Temples
Yesterday, George and I took an adventure to a cool place I'd found in my guidebook to Hawaii. Usually, I wouldn't think of a cemetery as a place to go sight-seeing, but of course there are exceptions. Valley of the Temples Memorial Park is a inter-denominational cemetery with a unique cross-cultural mix of East and West. The main "attraction" at the cemetary is the beautiful Byodo-in Buddhist temple at the back of the park. It is a scale replica of a 900-year-old temple located in Uji, Japan. It is a peaceful and contemplative place complete with wild swans and peacocks and large carp swimming in the man-made ponds. The temple houses an enormous gold-leaf Buddha. Adjecent to the temple is large bell that guests to the temple can ring using a large log. The whole park is situated in a lush valley surrounded by large volcanic mountains and facing a bay out to sea. A gem of a place indeed! More pictures here.
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