My Son Sanctuary - the overgrown remains of an ancient civilization

A thousand years worth of work, all taken down in a week would be the short story of the temples at My Son, center of the ancient Champa culture in central Vietnam... Little did the young pilots in their B52 planes know that they were targeting one of the most important ancient cultural sites in South East Asia, when they carpet-bombed the lush valley My Son is situated in. A single, hot August week in 1969 was all it took for the bombers to reduce to dusty rubble most of the 71 temples constructed by skillful Champa builders during nearly a millennium.

 

The monumental temples, all built to honor the Hindu God Shiva, formed together a huge religious center that served the powerful Champa Kingdom, that ruled over large areas of today's south and central Vietnam from about 3rd century until 13th century. The Thu Bon river starts here, then flows past the valley, finally merging into the South China Sea near the ancient port city of Hoi An, where the Champa exchanged goods and ideas with traders from faraway cultures. Buddhism, Christianity and Islam all made appearances, but My Son remained a stronghold of Hinduism until the 13th century. After that the Champa Kingdom slowly declined and was gradually absorbed by the growing power of Viet Nam. By the late 15th century, the Champa Kingdom ceased existing and the Shiva worshippers abandoned My Son.

Even if many of the monuments were documented by French archaeologists in the early 20th century and have now been reconstructed with help of their detailed documentation, the originals were lost forever. A deep green jungle covers now much of the valley, hiding huge craters of bombs and countless undetonated landmines under it. Remains of the ancient sculptures and structures form only soft mounds in the landscape, with no hope of ever rising again.

 My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage site - read more about its history here.

Days of bliss at Borobudur on Java...

 Stupas on the top of Borobudur - each of which contains a statue of a meditating Buddha.

 

Another short interlude away from the daily rush of Singaporean city life; this time, a long-lived wish of mine was fulfilled by touring the Borobudur temple on central Java. For no reasons quite clear to me - religious, spiritual or otherwise - I'd been drawn to this enigmatic temple for long time, and was absolutely happy to get to see it with my own eyes.

 

Why enigmatic? Well, despite many authoritative-sounding explanations, no-one really know exactly why and who built the temple, even if some reliefs on it tell that it was constructed sometime in the middle of the 9th century, during the time of the Saliendra dynasty rulers in Java. As no great cities or centers have ever surrounded it - no remains has been found - no-one quite knows why the temple was built just where it is, in the middle of a fertile volcanic valley in the middle of the island.

 

Even the purpose of the temple is a bit unclear, but at least, several theories of what it represents have been given. The most popular theory says that it was built to represent the many layers of Buddhist theory in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala (a traditional symbol in both Buddhism and Hinduism that represents the universe). According to this view, rising from the lowest levels to the highest, one wanders through three zones of consciousness, until reaching the central top sphere representing unconsciousness or Nirvana. Of course, the crowded consequences of Borobudur being an UNESCO World Heritage site were there, but arriving just before sunset, the tour buses had left and we could wander around the many stupas and statues of Buddha in the calm of the evening - until it was time for the evening prayers, and the loudspeakers of countless mosques of the now Muslim Java started airing out their litanies. The resulting atmosphere was quite surreal - tens of serene Buddhas listening to the blaring message of Islam - but at the same time very revealing, reflecting the strong religious dedication of the Javanese since centuries back.

 

As impressive as Borobodur was, I was even more taken by the local nature, lush and abundant with plants with names from stories and history books; spices like cloves and coffee, luxurious hardwoods like teak and mahogany; fruits and vegetables from bananas and pandan to chili and taro. I'd been so focused on the temple that I'd given no real thought for anything else, but this "else" proved to be just as interesting, and at least as beautiful. A couple of days of unexpectedly serene bliss, really.

 

Sunrise from our terrace - with two volcanoes, Mount Merapi and Merbabu in the horizon.

Another - almost steamy, when the morning mist was being burned off by the rising sun - view to the fertile volcanic valley, with fields of rice, corn, chili and tobacco.

 A Javanese version of a Chinese brush painting... I just couldn't stop drinking in the view (and taking pictures).

The temple of Borobudur in the morning mist.

 

 

A Buddha without a stupa, gazing towards the rising sun behind Mount Merapi.

More stupas... on the upper levels. My youngest actually looked into every single one of them, checking that the Buddhas were still there.

Yet another view of the stupas... this time, in the fading evening light.

 

Layers of  steamy jungle...

A hike high up to the mountain - we thought we were doing well, and then met a grandmother, carrying her grandchild on the steep path, all the way down to the village. And soon after, an old man with his shopping bag. Our guide told us that the people living on the mountains do this several kilometers long hike just to buy groceries or to go to the mosque - so much for our "achievements"...

A popular shady resting place under the large stone - the village can be seen long way down the mountain on the left in the picture...

One of the houses up on the mountain, beautifully built of bamboo and wood.

Another house, with the typical high pitched roof form that cools down the building...

More buildings, with the lovely, woven bamboo walls. 

On the top of the mountain, with the villages below...

And to our surprise, behind us on the top of the mountain was a garden growing corn, chilies, bananas and coconuts - the lava soil being so fertile, even so high up!

On the way down, an old man was having a break under the large stone. 

 And yet another view of the valley, with the temple of Borobudur just barely visible in the middle.

 

 

Pulau Ubin - the last kampung of Singapore

Village dwellings at Pulau Ubin, a short boat ride out from Singapore.

 

Imagine a Singapore with no cars or high-rise buildings, just small huts on tilts and electricity by generators only, surrounded by a noisy bird-filled jungle... well, that's Pulau Ubin, or the Granite Island, just a short 10 minutes bumboat ride from the east coast. A trip here takes you back to Singapore of the 1960's or 70's, to a kampong life that was eased by more modern lifestyles from the main island - just like from so many other places in Asia.

 

This small island was named after its rolling granite hills, that supported a couple of small quarries and provided work for a few thousands islanders a century ago. Others cleared off most of the native jungle, and planted crops like rubber, coffee, pineapple, coconut and jasmine. Today, the quarries have closed and a lush jungle again covers the island. Only some hundred villagers still live at Pulau Ubin, supported by farming or by tourists - mainly Singaporeans coming for a biking tour amidst the greenery during the weekends, and having a seafood dinner in the green while on the island.

Despite all complains about a continuous destruction of "genuine Singapore", Pulau Ubin seems to have a bright future - the government has seen the value of this quaint island, and has already gently developed it as a park. A new project is on way looking into ways of conserving the lifestyle and nature of the island, so it seems that the charms of Pulau Ubin can be enjoyed by coming generations of Singaporeans. Take time to get out there, spend a couple of hours strolling the narrow roads, listen to the birds and cicadas, and have a messy dinner of chili crab and steamed fish - you would never guess you are only half an hour away from one of the busiest ports and financial centers of Asia!

 Bumboats waiting for travelers - 10 minutes and $2 is all you need to get to Pulau Ubin.

 Approaching the tiny harbor... 

The village seen from the sea - one of the "famous but simple" seafood restaurants on the left; many Singaporeans take the trip to Ubin only to eat a lunch or dinner there.

Village center - no cars, as only bikes are allowed on the island.

The village temple dedicated to Tua Peck Kong, a Daoist god of prosperity; the islanders think that he helped to spare them from diverse atrocities during the Japanese occupation.

The local grocery store selling coconuts - guaranteed fresh and local...

 

Most tourists on the island are Singaporeans who bike around the beautiful and car-free island.

 

 One of many hiking paths, between two large ponds growing waterlilies and lotuses.

Dark pink waterlilies in the bright sun.

One of the local houses, probably with a romantic view over the palm-surrounded pond.  

Another kampung house, with chickens running inside the corrugated iron fence.

 

A well-renowned seafood place, still going strong despite the faded sign (we tested - the steamed white fish with ginger and shallots was delicious!).  

 

Yet another village house, by the sea.

 

And a bumboat ride back home with my kind of a captain - look at the mini garden on roof; he even had potted plants inside the boat!

Early morning at Thian Hock Keng Temple

A breakfast for those on the other side... despite the early hour, someone had already left a bag of food, some coffee and incense in front of a shrine with ancestral tablets that are bought to commemorate dead family members. 

Calm before the storm... All temples related to Chinese religions here in Singapore are busy preparing for the Lunar New Year in the end of January. Thian Hock Keng temple is no exception. There will be over two weeks of praying, diverse rituals and ceremonies to welcome the Year of the Horse, and to secure all possible blessings, from health and wealth to fertility and other prosperity. I took these pictures on an early morning visit and they are deceptively serene, so much is happening behind the scenes for the moment...

 

Cultural diversity is what I love most about Singapore - just scratch the surface, and something interesting pops up behind every corner, easily accessible for all to learn from and to enjoy.

 

The story of Thian Hock Keng Temple on Telok Ayer Street started in the 1820's, the early days of Singapore, as a humble joss house (a place to prayer and offerings) dedicated to Ma Zu Po, the Goddess of Sea and protector of sojourners. Many Chinese immigrants arrived with boats from Fujian (Hokkien), and went directly to the temple to offer thanks to Ma Zu for their safe journeys. Built in Southern Chinese architectural style, no nails were used when constructing it - and when renovated in the early 2000's, same methods were strictly followed. Thian Hock Keng is still one of the most popular temples in Singapore.   

The handsome entrance to the temple, with a pair of Foo lions and elaborately carved roof with countless Buddhist deities. The tessellated tiles and the cast iron fence are typical Colonial features - the cast iron was imported from Britain. It functioned as ballast in the trading ships that unloaded it here and filled their bellies with oriental trading goods from silk to spices in the Singaporean harbor. We had a veranda with very similar tiles in our Victorian house in Melbourne (it was built in 1890) - the old colonies share so much in so many ways...

A closer look at the entrance doors, with golden dragons and probably a depiction of one of the Eight Immortals, a group of beings that possess supernatural powers who can heal the sick, predict the future and transform themselves into other beings or even animals.

 More tiles and beautiful woodwork - no nails used! - in the inner courtyard of the temple.

 

 The main altar for Ma Zu is to the right - photography strictly not allowed there.

 View towards the main altar, with a large bronze incense burner in the middle; it is covered with lucky symbols like bats (bats are called "fu" in Chinese which sounds like "luck").

 Early morning maintenance work... beautiful old Singaporean shophouses behind the temple walls.

 

 A lovely, simple side entrance to the main altar. And more tiles, which were very much loved as decoration on temples and houses - and even tombs - by the Singaporean Chinese.

 An altar for Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, with the Moon Goddess and Sun God on each side. Guanyin means "Observer of Sound", so she hears the cries of all living beings, helps those in need and delivers salvation. Together with Ma Zu, she is one of the most revered goddesses here, and belongs to both Buddhist and Daoist pantheons.

 

Guanyin also helps infertile women to conceive - here, small dolls and even nappies had been left to her helper, the Moon Goddess.

 The Chinese are so beautifully inclusive in their religious lives; there's no need to select one, just choose whatever suits you from the Buddhist, Daoist and even Confucian religions and philosophies - a thinking that would be great if it would be adopted in some other parts of the world... Here, Confucius (Kong Zi), Chinese philosopher who lived about 2500 years ago, whose teachings still influence the daily lives of the Chinese today.

 Confucius taught the importance of wisdom, common education, cultivation of noble human character and development of one’s thinking - here, red banners are hung under the roof by his altar, expressing wishes for success in upcoming exams.

 

Bats everywhere - from roof tiles to bronze vessels to stone carvings, these little good luck symbols can be found throughout the temple. Here, people have rubbed the bat for an extra touch of luck so many times that it has turned black and almost shiny.

 

Yet another elaborately carved and painted side entrance. Sometimes people complain about Singapore being too orderly and clean, but I have to admit that I enjoy seeing these cultural treasures without graffiti tags or other doodles...and knowing they will be quite safe from them even in future.

 

A new pictorial tour coming up next week - the festival of Thaipusam will be celebrated on Friday by the Hindu community in Singapore, just in right time for my current South Asia studies!