#lingbao

These precepts for bodily and mental purification from the Lingbao school (靈寶派) are part of the Retreat ritual. They are expounded in the Explanations on the Lingbao Retreat: Protocol for radiant illuminations, precepts and punishments, lamps and prayers and included in the Taoist Canon. [1] However, this set of recommendations applies to any ascetic purifying practice. The text is presumably a…

Today we made our way to Yanzishan Original Ecological Tourist Scenic Area (燕子山原始生态旅游风景区) , in Lingbao, Henan. It's a 4A-rated forest park known for its rich, untouched landscapes.

Yanzishan Original Ecological Tourist Scenic Area (燕子山原始生态旅游风景区) — Lingbao, Henan

A quiet morning atmosphere in Lingbao (灵宝), Henan, China.

The small morning market in Lingbao felt both familiar and unfamiliar to me as another Asian. Familiar in its atmosphere, yet unfamiliar in the things being sold.

Farmers brought vegetables and fruit they had grown themselves. Villagers ground fresh spices by hand right at their stalls. The smell of freshly pressed sesame oil and sesame paste drifted through the market from the grinding machines. There were edible flowers, homemade apple cider, homemade fermented rice wine, and woven baskets and crafts made by the vendors themselves.

We reserved our tickets online in advance and picked them up at the entrance to Yanzishan Original Ecological Tourist Scenic Area. The park also provides golf cart shuttle service (35 yuans) for visitors.

And the first thing we saw when we arrived at the entrance was… a group of elderly people doing square dancing and singing together 😆

My mother-in-law absolutely loved this kind of performance 😆

After she finished watching, we finally began our exhausting journey through the park.