With western eyes and training in Buddhist studies, The Temple Guy (who bears a startling resemblance to Mi-le-fo, The Laughing Buddha) will be visiting temples--Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and min jien xin yan ("folk devotion")--during his sojourn in the south of China.

Here you will find a record of these visits, with the hope that others will be able to visit these places more easily, understand what they're seeing, and come to appreciate the devotional lives of those who worship here--and those whose lives are dedicated to them.  I have also added a Glossary of the Elements of a Chinese Temple.

There is also a large section on the personages founded in these temples, An Honor Roll of Worthies (which will ultimately be replaced by the Figures page).  The Honor Roll version is essentially an index to the mention of these figures as found in a Buddhist context.

You will also find some introductory information on Buddhism, with links to more in-depth materials.

Finally, as a deeper introduction to Buddhism as it is practiced in Chinese temples, try a pilgrimage at Hsi Lai Temple in Southern California.