August 1st, 2005 | The lowdown by Andrea Bryant

Collect the Hellors! The Zhengding Temple

Although I do not fully understand the ins and outs of Buddhism, this soft temple is a place I frequent several times a year. The guidebooks do not mention it, just as the guidebooks do not mention Shijiazhuang, this ‘town’ of several million people. I like to come to this hidden treasure and it is within cycling distance of the downtown area of Shijiazhuang.

The atmosphere here is nice and one is led to appreciate the quietness so rare for these parts of China. Surrounding the collection of buildings for the make up of this place, the landscape is also mysteriously beautiful. Here, there are many different species of Asian trees. Unlike most temples in the larger cities, which are normally filled to the brim with people, this one is more often quiet than not.

Here there is a many armed Buddha as well as a temple dedicated to Guan Yin, the tara goddess of mercy. Slight smells of incense fill the air. Even the toilets are bearably clean. For a fee, you can summon the special musical monks, donned in characteristic orange, to play music for you while you light your large sticks of incense. For a slightly larger fee, you can purchase a tile to be used in reconstructing one of the main temples which was destroyed during the reign of the Cultural Revolution.

As a foreigner, coming here in the hopes that you will be allowed to sit and smell the incense and bow to your dreams of mercy in silence will disappoint you. People in passing will undoubtedly notice your foreign face, which inevitably leads to the shout of ‘Hellor!’ to you. And when you don’t respond or look up from your writing? Yet another ‘Hellor’, perhaps this time more loudly shouted, then another one, and another one, followed by laughter. And mostly male voices shouting out this universal greeting – seems as if the females will simply look at you under the tops of their hats while knitting and waiting for you to purchase your items. Do not be afraid. They are simply curious.

And do not be annoyed, either. At least try to mask any feelings of annoyance that you may have. You are, without a doubt, like a rare species of bird to them. Much like the trees might appear to you. Much like the large incense and the musical chants playing might feel to you. Knowing the names of either one is impossible.

In China, the space is on the inside, not the outside. Here it is a typical greeting to ask where you are going, what you are doing, who you are doing it with, your salary, whether or not you are married, what you had for lunch (firstly if you ate your lunch), where you ate it, and how much you paid for it. These are common questions. Not so common questions and taboo subjects would be religion. Even here, no one is trying to convince you to another way of thought. No one is going to try to save your soul and convert it over to the Great Buddha or the Goddess of Mercy or Jesus Christ (even among Christians). To ask such questions even at a holy place would be a breach of the space we have on the insides of our minds.

The whole time I have been sitting here writing this article in my journal, by hand, I have collected ten hellors! as well as two requests to buy items from the knitting lady. To buy the items is up to you. To respond is not. Remember, be polite and smile. And don’t forget the hellor! Space, no longer on the outside, foreigner!