702 
TEMPLE IN IIIANNEN. 
on the outside, and made of wood in the form of a mallet. The two other 
pavilions contain the ornaments of the temple, and often serve to 
lodge travellers, whom the bonzes are obliged to receive. 
In the middle of this court is a large tower, which terminates also 
by a dome, which you ascend by a beautiful stone stair-case, that 
winds round it. This dome contains a temple remarkably neat ; the 
ceiling is ornamented with Mosaic work, and the walls are covered 
with stone figures in relief, representing animals and monsters. The 
pillars which support the roof of this edifice are of wood varnished, 
and on festivals are ornamented wdth small flags of ditFerent colours ; 
the pavement of the temple is formed of little shells, and its differ- 
ent compartments represent birds, butterflies, flowers, &c. The bon- 
zes continually burn incense upon the altar, and keep the lamps 
lighted which hang upon the ceiling of the temple. At one extremity 
of the altar stands a brazen urn, which when struck sends forth a 
mournful sound ; on the opposite side is a hollow machine of wood, 
of an oval form, used for the same purpose, which is to accompany 
with its sound their voices when they sing in praise of the tutelary 
idol of the pagod. The image of Poussa is placed on the middle of 
th is altar, on a flower of gilt brass, which serves as a base, and holds 
a young child in its arms, several idols of subaltern deities are ranged 
around him, and shew their veneration by their attitudes. The bonzes 
have traced out on the walls of this temple several hieroglyphical 
characters in praise of Poussa. There is also to be seen an allego- 
rical painting, in fresco, representing a burning lake, in which several 
men appear to be swimming, some carried by monsters, others sur- 
rounded by dragons. In the middle of the gulf rises a steep rock, 
on the top of which the god is seated, holding in his arms a child, 
w ho seems to call out to those who are in the lake ; but an old man, 
with hanging ears and horns on his head, prevents them from climb- 
ing to the summit of the rock, and threatens to drive them back with 
a large club. The bonzes are at a loss to explain this painting. Be- 
hind the altar is a library, containing books on the w'orship of idols. 
On descending from this dome, you cross the court, and enter a 
kind of gallery, the walls of which are lined with boards ; it contains 
tw'enty-four statues of gilt brass, representing as many philoso- 
phers, ancient disciples of Confucius. At the end of this gallery is a 
large hall, which is the refectory of the bonzes ; and after having 
traversed a spacious apartment, you at length enter the temple of Fo, 
to which there is an ascent by a large stone stair-case. It is orna- 
mented with vases full of artificial flowers and musical instruments. 
The statue of the god is not to be seen but through a piece of black 
gauze, which forms a veil before the altar. The rest of the pagod 
consists of several large chambers, extremely neat, but badly dis- 
posed. 
The gardens and pleasure grounds are on the declivity of the moun- 
tain, and a number of delightful grottos ^re cutout in the rock, which 
afford an agreeable shelter from the excessive heat of the sun. There 
are several other pagods in the island, among which is one called the 
Pagod of the Ten Thousand Stones, because it is built on the brow 
of a mountain, where there is a number of little rocks, under which 
