Chap. VIII. 



TEMPLE OF KOO-SHAN. 



137 



through the various parts of this extensive edifice and 

 over the grounds. 



This temple is built upon the same plan as that 

 at Tein-tung, near Ning-po ; indeed, a description of 

 one would nearly do for the other. It consists of 

 three principal buildings, one behind the other, on 

 the side of the hill ; the second being built on a 

 higher foundation than the first, and the third in like 

 manner higher than the second. At right angles 

 with the three large temples on each side are the 

 dwellings of the priests. The "three precious Bud- 

 dhas," past, present, and future, the deity with nu- 

 merous arms, and many other images crowd these 

 temples. In one I observed upwards of a hundred 

 cushions on which the devotees kneel in front of the 

 idols, and candles and incense were burning in all 

 directions. 



Having seen the principal temples, I was led to 

 the kitchen and dining-room. When it is remem- 

 bered that upwards of a hundred priests take their 

 meals here daily, it may easily be imagined that these 

 places are worthy of a visit. The dining-room is a 

 large square building, having a number of tables placed 

 across it at which the priests eat their frugal meals. 

 At the time of my visit they had just sat down to 

 dinner, so that I had an opportunity of seeing a 

 greater number of them together than I had ever 

 seen before. They appeared a strange and motley 

 assembly. Most of them had a stupid and un intel- 

 lectual appearance — these were generally the lower 

 orders of the priesthood. The abbot and those who 



