Sunday Holiness: The Pre-New Year Binondo Temple Visit

- February 15, 2015, Sunday.

- Whenever my amateur photographer and college friend Raphael comes to Binondo, it's always an event by itself; we meet each other only once a year, usually during the Chinese New Year season. He usually comes to Binondo to take nice photos of the new year festivities, although he had a personal matter to take care of this time; he won't be around during the actual new year. Apart from his other personal matter, he was also willing to help me out with the SLR camera I won from a photography contest by the Indian Embassy just few weeks ago (read about the contest and the accompanying 66th Republic Day flag-hoisting event here.) 

- As usual, Rap wanted me to tour him around Binondo; each time we meet, the task gets more challenging. I think Rap has seen most of the must-sees in Binondo twice during his many photo-walks with me or his other photographer friends. Fortunately, I thought of bringing him to Manila's Seng Guan Temple, or in Hokkien, "Seng Guan Si." I had a hunch that he has not been to that hidden jewel, because the temple is quite distant from "mainland Chinatown," making it hard for non-Binondo or non-Chinoys (Chinese-Filipinos) to be familiar with this temple.

- Rap was enticed by the idea of visiting a large temple in the heart of Manila, so we walked to Narra Street from Ongpin to see the temple. The Seng Guan Temple was built in the 30s/40s, and it frequented by Chinoy Buddhists to pray to the Chinese/Mahayana-localized gods, or to pray for their ancestors, among other things. Apart from the many Buddhist icons everywhere in the temple, the more interesting part of the temple is located at the second floor.

Rap trying my SLR; he took a photo of my big head.

Initial shots.

More incense sticks. 

Why hello Rap.

- The second floor's central prayer hall has panels above the posts that chronologically depict scenes from the life of Siddhartha Gautama. Rap was fascinated by it, and even when I've seen these wall carvings many times before, the detailed golden carvings still manage to catch my interest.

My attentive tourist.

An apsara stuck at the corner.

Again I'm not sure what this creature is or what its significance is. Help anyone??

- My favorite part of the temple is the main prayer hall, or "The Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddhas." This giant hall houses the multiple-story tall Buddhist trinity - Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta. The statues are backed with embossed carvings of divine beings, mostly apsaras (sort of like fairies.)

The iconic triad.

- Rap noticed that the door to the stairs going to the higher floors of the main hall was open, so we decided to check out the higher floors. The topmost floor had an exit to the roof of the temple, where the stupas (mounds/holy spires) can be seen up close.

From the second floor.

Hard to take a selfie with my SLR. I'm still more comfortable with my handy digicam.

The big stupa; reminds me of the one in the king's grand palace in Thailand.

Photo from the third floor of the prayer hall.

Close-up shot of  Amitabha.

- After a few more photos, we had lunch at Tasty Dumplings. It was Rap's first time. The restaurant's signature pork chop was too big for him, but he was happy.

A happy kid.

Nyom.

I shall not take selfies with my SLR again. Haha. Hard to get perfect selfies.

- Rap had to go home after he finished his business in Chinatown. Although he'll be missing this year's new year events, it just gives him a reason to come back to Binondo next year!