China Trip - Day 3 Huidong
Day three was also spent in Huidong. The factory we were staying with had recently moved a few miles closer to town. So we took some time out of the day to visit the older facility. The factory is still in use but much of it is shut down. I’ve included photos of the grounds of the new factory and the old so you can see how quickly the tropical plant life takes over. This space is still used for mold making and you can see in the images that they produce 1000’s upon 1000’s of molds. I was blown away by the number of molds in storage and by how quickly they produce more molds!!!
Not far from the old factory was the Nine Dragons Temple complex and mountain. I got to visit this area three times throughout my trip and it still didn’t feel like enough. It was so amazing! Maybe I was just happy to be out in nature and getting some exercise but mostly it felt sacred and special. This complex consisted of nine temples and beyond the temples were 3800 stone steps that led all the way up to the top of the mountain. For this first visit we just walked around a few of the temples. I couldn’t get enough of the ornate architecture and sculptures. I loved the weathered surface of the buildings and the moss growing all over. There were fireworks going off in the background and the scent of incense burning in the temples. This is a place that is used by locals and cared for by locals. It felt accessible and familiar as opposed to some of the larger more touristy temples we would visit later. This was truly a special place and I hope to go back again someday.