In Jun 2007, we set off for The Horizon of the World (Hainan Island). We hardly travelled to the same place within a short span of just 3 years, based on our past practice. However, Nan Hai Guanyin (Avalokitesvara of the Southern Sea) showed His power again. On 12 Dec 2010, 14 of us set off for yet another X-Tour, to The Horizon of the World. Why 14? It could well be a wonderful arrangement planned by the spiritual world in silence…
My company happened to organize a 4-day work related retreat in early Dec in Haiko, China. So, the rest (13 members) planned to join me on the 4th day, the last day of my retreat. We arranged to meet in Haiko and set off for the southern part of Hainan Island for the tour.
Ho, our tour guide in 2007 during our last visit to Hainan Island, came to my hotel, Hong Yun Hotel, to bring me over to Haiko Hotel, to meet the rest. They had touched down at the Mei Lan Airport and had checked into Haiko Hotel. Ho told me that he had some interesting experience lately with some of the Singaporean tourists who came to Hainan Island. Some of them kept staring at him at the airport when they met him, puzzling him. Later, they showed him our X-Tour book entitled “The Horizon of the World (Hainan Island)”, with his photo featured in the same book. So, he has become famous among Singaporean tourists now!
This was our repeat visit to Hainan Island. Ho planned a somewhat different itinerary for us this time, giving us some new experiences. We travelled by the Hainan Island Centre Route, visiting the Betel Nut Valley (Li-Miao Cultural Village), An Ding Bird Park, Southern Bay Monkey Island, Ya Long Bay Tropical Rainforest, all of which were eye-opening experiences…
When we arrived at the Confucius Temple in Wen Chang, the temperature dropped from 28ºC to 8ºC, making all of us shivering in cold - we had to do an impromptu shopping at a local shop for additional winter gears. When we arrived at Haiko Volcano Park, we saw the local guide shivering in cold too. However, when we reached the top of the hill where I offered incense and performed a ceremonial dance as offering to the Volcano God, the freezing chill suddenly disappeared into thin air! The temperature instantly rose and the weather suddenly became warmer, and we had to start stripping the additional layers of winter gear one by one…
Well, we could not possibly forget about mentioning the Nan Hai Guanyin alright. We put up at the Nan Shan (Southern Mountain) Hotel for one night and we paid respects to the Nan Hai Guanyin. When we arrived at Nan Shan, a Sanskrit syllable “A” appeared in the sky, formed by clouds. When we visited the 33 Guan Yin Temple and during our practice of Guan Yin Prayer, all of us wept before the 33 statues of the manifestations of Guan Yin; it was as if a child had finally returned to the warm embrace of a mother long separated. At the same temple, we made offering of wine to the Fifth Senior (God of Fortune). We suddenly noticed that there were 14 pieces of mattress being laid on the floor before the Fifth Senior. All 14 of us, the Vajrayanists, had one mattress each! We knelt on the mattresses and offered Er Guo Tou (wine) to the Fifth Senior, praying for his blessing for all sentient beings residing in Hainan Island.
Amitabha Buddha!
Acho (Lotus Robe)
25 Dec 2010 on Christmas Day
More pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/BuddhaEyeAlbum/HainanIsland2010#
