Description of the Sea Pearl Temple

Haizhu Temple is situated in the middle of the river to the southwest of the provincial capital of Guangzhou. The various waters of the CangwuRefers to the ancient name for the region encompassing the West River (Xi Jiang) in modern Guangxi and western Guangdong., the HuangzhongLikely referring to the North River (Bei Jiang) or its tributaries flowing through northern Guangdong., and the HengpuHistorically referring to the waters flowing from the Mei Pass area in northern Guangdong. all converge at this point to enter the sea.

A mountain original: 山 (shān); used here to describe the rocky island elevation sits in the midst of these waters; it is round and elegant, appearing like a pearl floating upon the water's surface. A Buddhist palace original: 佛宮 (fógōng) occupies its summit, a place of extraordinary seclusion and beauty. Beyond this Dharma-realmOriginal: 法界 (fǎjiè). In Buddhist philosophy, this refers to the realm of ultimate reality; here, the author uses it poetically to suggest that the island is a self-contained sacred world with no land beyond its borders., there is not even space enough to set one’s foot.