My week in Shanghai's summer.

Well, it was 8 full days really, but "a week" reads better as a heading, don't you think?

My husband was going to Shanghai on business, and I had decided to stay at home...because the summers there are reportedly very very hot, and very very humid.
To add a little spice to that, it is also the typhoon season.

But at the last minute I decided that I couldn't not go, so to China I went. And of course experienced, in 8 short days, the heat, the humidity AND a typhoon! Excitement plus!

One hot day (yes, I am repeating myself, re weather, I know) we walked through an older part of the city, and found a Taoist temple.

It was a touch of peace and serenity in the hot city.

Here are a few photos.

The main entrance to the temple complex.

In the first courtyard were people buying and burning sticks of incense.

Within the temple grounds are many smaller temples, each with a statue of Buddha.  

One of the 4 different temples arranged around this central square.

...and another.

People use the temples for quiet reflection, and/or prayer.

Photographs were not allowed inside the temples, so I cannot show you any of the Buddha statues. But they were magnificent, and some were huge.

One of the monks, a female, was watering the plants outside one of the temples.

On one side of the complex was a quiet garden with a pond, full of carp, of many colours.
The trees and shrubs in this garden also added to a feeling of relaxation.

People are sitting on the bridge, watching the carp.

It is a little difficult to appreciate the variety of colours from this photograph, but they ranged from pale white to black!

Children could buy fish food for a few yuan, and feed the fish.

The fish are obviously used to being fed.

Despite the heat of the day,  inside the grounds felt cooler...maybe the restful ambiance fooled our heat-sensitive receptors!

Whatever the explanation, the visit to the Taoist temple was a very relaxing experience.