Thoughts on Visiting Dai Temple 游岱庙的思考

Dai Temple is located in Taian City, Shandong Province, China, at the southern foot of Mt. Taishan. It was the place where ancient emperors came to worship and pay homage to the God of Mt. Taishan. The construction of the temple began during Qin and Han Dynasties. It was also the starting point of climbing Mt. Taishan.

Inside the temple there are ancient trees jutting out into the sky and over 300 steles. The cypress trees of Han Dynasty and scholar trees of Tang Dynasty are the most famous trees in the temple.

Dai Temple was listed into the world cultural and natural heritage list in 1987.

From the first day to the third day of the Spring Festival every year, Taian citizens can enjoy free access to Dai Temple and go to the temple fair. Most of the people come round to pray for blessing, peace, health and wealth, through burning incense and kneeling down. There are also many people, like me, who just come to the temple to join in the fun, enjoying the free meal.

On both sides of the entrance, there are two girls who look like the staff, holding beautiful packages of joss sticks and selling them to the visitors, very patiently.

Full of streams of people busily coming and going, and every kind of performance, I'm afraid, the temple will be feeling overwhelmed.

What the temple has left us are historic monuments, heritage, culture, respect and protection, and this trip gives me more thinking.

1.Your destiny is in your own hands. It relies on your own hard work, instead of burning incense and kneeling down temporarily, or flipping coins or touching lucky stones which is thought to bring wealth and good fortune and change your destiny. This is just a kind of good feeling and hope.

2.We should cherish and protect the legacy our ancients have left for us, rather than let it suffer or become a place where people pray for blessing and provide any paid service by selling incense to cater to the psychological need of people.

3.Burning joss sticks has polluted the environment, and fostered the spirit of superstition, thus misleading people and affecting the younger generation.

Walking out of the temple, I suddenly found falling snowflakes in the sky. Taking a careful look, it turned out to be the burned incenses, like snowflakes dancing in the air.

岱庙又称东岳庙、泰庙，位于泰山南麓，山东省泰安市境内，是古代帝王奉祀泰山神，举行祭祀大典的场所，始建于秦汉时期；也是登临泰山的起点。

岱庙内碑碣林立，古木参天。历经几千年风雨沧桑的汉柏、唐槐，则为岱庙古树名木之最。

1987年初列入世界文化与自然遗产清单。

每年春节的初一至初三，泰安市民可免费游览岱庙，去赶一赶庙内举行的庙会。最多的是人们前来焚香叩头，祈求福气、平安、健康和财气等；也有像我一样来凑凑热闹，享受着免费的大餐呢。
还未到岱庙，庙前的大路就拥堵了起来，人流、车流水泄不通，黑压压的人群，擦肩接踵，好不容易才来到了入口。

入口两侧，站着看似工作人员的两位女孩，拿着包装艳丽的香火，不停地向游人推销着，不厌其烦。

庙内满是熙熙攘攘的人群，还有各式各样的表演，恐怕这岱庙也要不堪重负了。

岱庙留给我们的是历史古迹、传承、文化、敬仰和保护，而这次之行给我的却是更多的思考。

一、命运掌握在自己手中，靠的是自己后天的努力，而不是一时兴起焚香烧纸，三叩一拜，或者掷钱币，摸摸幸运石就能带来财气和福气，就能改变自己的命运。这不过是人们一种美好的心情和寄托罢了。

二、对于古人留给我们的遗产，我们当珍惜和保护，而不是让其负累，苦不堪言，成了个人求财祈福的场所，更不是为了迎合人们的心理而提供任何有偿服务，销售香火的地方。

三、浓浓的香火污染了环境，也助长了迷信的风气。误导了人们，更影响了年青一代。

走出岱庙，忽觉天空落下了雪花，细细一看，原来是庙内飘出的香火，似雪片在空中凤舞。