Women’s Day Celebration on March 8 at the Kundawell Institute Kundavell..

Professor Xu Mingtang invited all Kundawell employees, students, and patients and guests for an excursion on 8th March, 2011.

All Kundawell went with Master Xu Mingtang to the Fragrant Hills (Park Xiang Shan) - situated in Nnorth-Wwest Beijing. We all enjoyed an excellent beautiful day out, with the and let the beauty of this public park and the springthe spring-like warmth of the sunshine awakensunshine awaken theing the body and soul after a cold winter.

Fragrant Hills is- one of the most popular and beloved one of Bbeijing public parks. It is located 28 km from Beijing. They say Historians say that the first building on the site of the park fragrant Downs appeared in was constructed during the rule of the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 265-317), when a Taoist - the founder of alchemy in Chinese history - , chose thisa beautiful place to look for means of prolonging his life.

The first temple in this park was built in AD1186 and. Ssince thenthen the emperors of all dynasties, inspired by the beauty of the place, considered came to be called this park is a park as one of their most valued places ofof peace and pleasure. The name of the park incorporates the In the name of the park has the word "fragrant" It is believed that The reason for this is the it appeared because of two large stones at the top of the mountain that resemble to altars for burning incense, which lie on the mountain, .and from a distance during the smoky days ago on three-legged altar for burning incense Besides this, the sweet odour of the numerous . Although overgrown with apricots, peach, pear and lilac may in itself justify can also cause thesuch a name. During history, the park has been destroyed Twice this park destroyed by foreign forces, but luckily its glamour was attractiveness is not affected.

In the park one can see many marvels high arts, such as , pagodas, pavilions, temples and other diverse architectural complexes complexes.. pagodas, pavilions and templesBesides these, the lake . One of these marvels, perhaps, is the lake pts, located directly at the Nnorth gate of the park is also a big attraction.. It consists of two ponds separated by a stone bridge. When sunlight is reflected in the water, the two lakes are similar to the glasses just like glasses, hence their name.

Here, near the lake, our group split up up. One group ofPart of the people climbed the mountain by a broad staircase, admiring the awakening of nature after winter, withand a view of Beijing, opening up before their eyes more clearly and more with each step. and each bay, which they overcame.

The staircase at certain intervals is interrupted by look-out towers with On the way to the stairs met gazebo with intricate sloping roofs – perfect for a short relaxation, stretching out stiff legs and absorbing the sunshine. , which so well to get a bench, relax stiff legs and soak up the sunshine after a steep climb.

At these pavilions we were intensely observed by a great number of These pavilions and attracted all the Chinese grannies, - dmothers who - taking a pause in their daily walk – found it immensely intriguing to openly stare at these with undisguised interest begin to consider these strange, fair-skinned, big-nosed newcomers, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their looks. The aliens (us) let this be, and started moving with light skin and big noses, loudly discussing their advantages and disadvantages. Allowing grandmothers admire their noses and aliens are moving further into the hard way up the stairs. upstairs. Behind us, however the though and sporty grannies too continued both their ways up and their discussions trying to figure out what country we were from, and for what reason we lingered in such a distant place as China. them
are tightened and sports grandmother, continuing this journey together, trying to figure out what kind of country, these strange creatures and wondering what they forgot in a distant place like China.

One of the most beautiful buildings we encountered during our trip was Vanshouta - a seven-storey pagoda with in the way our team has seven-storey pagoda covered with glaze tiles. It's called Vanshouta. tiles. Small bells hung from the eaves At each overhang roofof the pagoda hung small bells (altogetheronly 56 pieces), which were melodically ringingtinkling even in a low breeze.

In sSome, of us at that point the pioneer spirit awoke – either fleeing from the still interested grannies at our heels or seeking adventure-whether drawn on adventures, whether they are fleeing from the scrutiny grandparents, whether they awoke the spirit of pioneers. They turned off the stairs to quickly become, small, barely visible points in the forest trails wandering on the forest trails around the bush and listening to the cheerful songchirping of birds upstairs. And they were To their big surprised - from the bushes a squirrel jumped the squirrel,appeared and jumping from branch to branch she , they showed itself in all its the group how fresh squirrels are in spring. glory. Unfortunately, she refused our offering of to boiled eggs and Chinese sausage with the grace of someone who without questions dines at Beijing’s best restaurants. , which added a whole group, that she lived to dinner

Others chose elected chair lifts instead of climbing and admired the view of the Beijing opening up in bird's-eye viewthe distance.. The most notable buildings in the city are the, Olympic Torch Building built this building-torch built for the Olympic Games in 2008 and the Beijing TV tower with itsa revolving restaurant, from which dinners , you can enjoy a view of the flashing lights of the city.

Arriving at the top by the chair lift, one gets to the main peak Coming on top of the lift station, they got to the main peak in the park of Fragrant Mountains or- Peak Ccenser for Iincense. Another name for this peak is the - Peak of thesullen demon. Worried Ghost. Its height is 557 feetdue to which , the clouds and fog and mist often absorbengulf its steep slopes, which give the two large stone excrescences of the peak a resemblance to incense burners. Stones on top like a censer for incense.

Arriving to the top, the most zelous immediately went to the Temple of Azure Clouds to But the most zealous tsigunisty immediately went to the Temple of Azure Clouds, meditate. This Buddhist temple was originally constructed to serve as a monastery. It was built which was built in the 14th century during the Yuan Dynasty under Emperor Chzhishun. Alam and was originally a monastery., the son of a famous minister in the court of Genghis Khan covered most of the expenses of the construction.

Money to build gave Alam - the son of a famous minister in the court of Genghis Khan.
The most amazing part of the In the temple is the of the most amazing hall of the 500 Aarhats, which was built afterin the image of the Hall of Arhats Tszintsy, in the Temple in Hangzhou. In the hall, there is a A total of 508 statues, out of which of Hall,

8 sculpturesarticles are devoted to a close disciple of the Sakyamuni, whileand the remaining 500 are - saints. All of them naturalare natural size statues in different poses and facial expressions. Each statue is numbered. has its own number.
The most interesting one is - a statue of Buddha Tszigun, which squats on the overlap of the Hall of Ffive Hhundred Arhats.

There are numerous legends about him; one of them is as follows: About him There is such a legend.
A long time ago the hall housed a meeting of the was to have a meeting elected Aarhats in this room. Tszigun caome to the meeting too early and found that and saw that the doors of the hall were still closed.. Then hHe chose to gowent for a walk,during which he and met along the way a girl who needed help. He He of course helped her, but when he finally returned to the hall, he found that all the seats in the room had were already been occupied. Thus, he could do nothing else but to sit down Then he sat down on the gully floor roof - exactly, where his statue is today. Unlike the other statues in the hall, the size of Tsziguna’s statue is rather a small, and so only the most attentive notice it. statue Tsziguna and noticed it only the most attentive.

Strolling through the hall’, lost in his labyrinth, one could choose an Arhat particularly to one’s liking arhat. While practicing people felt as if being watched by one of bright-eyed Arhats, and could ask for his blessing. , Visitors are often pParticularly struck by the statue of a mad monk who is a popular hero of the Chinese stories.

Besides this hall however, there were further miracles to discover. In the most rerecent court of the Temple an amazing building waited for the tourists. The participants waited for an amazing walk Pagoda Diamond Throne. It Pagoda is the tallest building in the Temple of Azure Clouds. While Although the pagoda was built in the image of the Temple of the Diamond Throne in Central India, but it is decorated in Chinese style – that is – with dragons, phoenix-patterns, clouds, lions and elephants.

Thiss 34-meter platform of white marble has , which are the top five 13-tier pagodas and several small Dagobah on top. They are said tose contain a particle of a tooth of the Buddha. Inside the pagoda there is - a ladder leading to the upper platform, whichith offers a its panoramic view of the surroundings.

All tTrees in the temple are decorated with lots of red ribbons on which all who come to the visitors of the temple can leave yourtheir names and wishes for happiness, health and success in work and study for themselves as well as for their loved ones.

Walking over to a German restaurant, we had deliciousa delicious and very much a hearty dinner at a German restaurant, which served complete with both Chinese and European dishes. We were Especiallyespecially pleased with allthe different sorts of kebabs and now foamy German beer.

Once again, let me I congratulate on this beautiful spring holiday – Women’s Day – to all those lovely ladies at Kundavell! I a with this beautiful spring women's holiday! wWishing you happiness and love, and to keep the warmth of the Spring Sun in your hearts, and also to preserve your you blooming beautyalways bloom and to keep the warmth of spring sun! ! Be happy and loved!