According to inscribed marble tablets found during restoration, the history of the original Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple dates back over 400 years. Since that period the temple has survived earthquakes, fires and the destruction of the “Smash the Four Olds” of the Cultural Revolution. It has been rebuilt numerous times, most recently in 2012 as … [Read more…]
Old Theatre Inn featured in U.S. media A recent article in the Wall Street Journal interviewed Ginkgo Society Founder, Chris Barclay with the aim of understanding cultural heritage preservation in China’s hospitality sector. Chris began restoring the Shaxi Pear Orchard Temple in early 2012 as well as Old Theatre Inn, in which he is currently … [Read more…]
The enduring art of Shaxi temple painting Prior our recent restoration work, the last known major renovation to 慈荫庵 or the Pear Orchard Temple was 1916. This is documented on the ridge beam of the Jade Emperor shrine at the highest construction of the temple complex. Before removing old plaster or taking down entire walls, … [Read more…]
A touching story of Shaxi In March, the media production company Yi Tiao (一条) brought a crew to Old Theatre Inn to film the story of how Chris and Nam Barclay met local school teacher Wu Yunxin, and began their journey in the Tea Horse Road market town of Shaxi Yunnan. Their shared dream was to rebuild … [Read more…]
Locally designed and built eco-friendly toilets promote sustainability in Shaxi From the time we began work on the temple, we knew we would have to completely rebuild the temple public toilets, which were no more than a hole in the ground. The main challenges were that we would need permissions from the village to increase … [Read more…]
Shaxi temple ceremony for Hannah Barclay On November 17th, the Barclay family returned to the Pear Orchard Temple to give thanks for their daughter Hannah and receive a protective prayer for her from the Diantou Village elders. The local priest led the Shaxi temple ceremony, which consisted of an hour of chanting and offerings to … [Read more…]
Experiential programs for international school students in Shaxi As part of our commitment to sustainable development in Shaxi Yunnan, the Ginkgo Society supports Shaxi service learning programs that promote cultural exchange and contribution to the greater Shaxi community. This month we welcomed sustainable tourism graduate students from the U.S. who took a guided tour of … [Read more…]
This August we welcomed members from the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism, who visited the Pear Orchard Temple. The group had just attended a conference in Lijiang and were eager to see the new developments in Shaxi, especially to understand how the Pear Orchard’s role in sustainable travel promotion would affect local tourism. They were … [Read more…]
We began our work on Ci Yin An (慈荫庵) – Sheltered Mercy Nunnery, (the Pear Orchard Temple) in thanks for the birth of our daughter. As we planned our work, we realized that the Elders of Diantou Village had stories about the temple which were the only records of what the ancient Shaxi temple used to … [Read more…]
In November, students from Boston University Shanghai Center attended a day of cultural activities at the Sheltered Mercy Nunnery (Pear Orchard Temple). The group stayed at the Li Family Courtyard in nearby Xiake Village, a favorite homestay accommodation option for student groups in Shaxi. With a two-day itinerary provided by the Ginkgo Society, the group spent … [Read more…]