Fog over Big Buddha Hall

limr · May 22, 2014

I live about 20 minutes from the Chuang Yen Buddhist Monastery, home of the the largest Buddha statue in the United States. BAUS » Chuang Yen Monastery

Here's what it looks like when it's foggy:

rs Guards by limrodrigues, on Flickr

rs Bell Tower by limrodrigues, on Flickr

rs Big Buddha Hall by limrodrigues, on Flickr

(Mamiya, C330, Ektar)

mmaria · May 23, 2014

Can I go for a walk with you

#3 I like the most
#1 I spent some time looking at it and my eyes just keep wanting complete symmetry, but then again, would symmetry be boring here?... everyone would probably take the shot that way...

... don't know what to think... keep looking at it

IzzieK · May 23, 2014

Love your shots and the mood you captured here. I wonder why they have an elephant statue there with the trunk downwards? I thought that was unlucky...or so I was told. I bought a few smaller ones and all of them have their trunks up and the elephants look happier than with the trunk down...and located in the biggest Buddhist monastery too??

I wonder if there is an explanation to that...

oldhippy · May 23, 2014

Great shots, so much to like on flickr.

limr · May 23, 2014

mmaria said:
Can I go for a walk with you

#3 I like the most
#1 I spent some time looking at it and my eyes just keep wanting complete symmetry, but then again, would symmetry be boring here?... everyone would probably take the shot that way... ... don't know what to think... keep looking at it

I did think about taking #1 straight on. It wasn't really exciting me when I saw it through the viewfinder. It was had to get everything I wanted in the frame from that angle. It was so foggy, you couldn't even see the big hall, and the direct angle ended up with too much empty space for my liking. The trees and statues were too far on the sides and not prominent enough to balance the empty space. I probably would have shot it differently if it were a bit less foggy and you could see the hall.

IzzieK said:
Love your shots and the mood you captured here. I wonder why they have an elephant statue there with the trunk downwards? I thought that was unlucky...or so I was told. I bought a few smaller ones and all of them have their trunks up and the elephants look happier than with the trunk down...and located in the biggest Buddhist monastery too?? I wonder if there is an explanation to that...

I had no idea that the trunk position meant anything. I just did a little poking around and it seems that the trunk up is good luck, but trunk down isn't simply the opposite of that. It just has a different meaning. I saw a couple of things that said it represents storing energy, protection, wisdom, or longevity. Almost everything I read had to do with feng shui.

One website I found said this: "This "trunk up" belief has no apparant origin in Africa, India, or South East Asia where elephants are native, but is widespread in the USA, and many Asian and African amulet and statuary makers now produce trunk-up elephant statues for American buyers. It may have originated in the west-British and Irish belief that a lucky horseshoe must face upward or "the luck will run out.") ." Lucky Elephamts

So far I still haven't found anything I find credible enough to believe, though