China # 5 // Horseback Riding and Puling Temple

I have many, many pictures, but too little time and words to fully explain the context and circumstances of the following photographs. Plus, I'm getting lazy.  So I'm just going to post pictures accompanied by a few clarifying sentences; I'm done with my meanderings for now. 

We went on a trip to Inner Mongolia where we went ATV-ing, shot bow-and-arrows, mingled with locals, and went horseback riding (not all at the same time).  It was incredibly insanely fantastically gorgeous. 

While riding our horses, we stumbled upon a newly-wed couple taking advantage of Mongolia's stunning landscape.

Throughout the trip we stayed in these Mongolian homes called "yurts."  Sometimes filthy, sometimes adorable, these yurts kept us cool during the day and warm at night. 

The other half of the trip was spent in a place called Chengde in northern China's Hebei Province.  It was, in 1703, the summer residence of the Kangxi Emperor.  Today, it is home to Puling Temple, a Buddhist Temple that boasts the world's largest wooden statue of Buddha.  Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures of the Buddha, as doing so presents a great sign of disrespect.

 These scarves were handmade by the monastery's monks.  They are said to bring good luck to the traveler. 

Even though it's a tourist attraction, Puling Temple is still an official monastery, attracting many religious followers and pilgrims.

All this history and culture, no matter what your religious beliefs are, are an undeniably priceless part of China's historical development.