david 3816: The 2019 Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen New Year Floral Lantern Festival

Despite its somewhat sleepy town status, Jenjarom new village every Chinese New Year provides with bright and lively atmosphere of multi-coloured lights and lanterns.

The highlight of the village is the Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple which is decked in flowers and creative figurines to usher in the Lunar New Year Celebration.

Upon entering, visitors will be greeted by a vibrant and beautiful arch, welcoming them to the new village which is also known as Kampung Bahagia or Happy Village. Happy New Year!!! Let's Usher together into 2019 with saying Huat ah, Heng ah, Ong ah!(meaning prosperity, success and good luck)

Dong Zen Temple has a different theme for each Chinese New Year celebration, the celebration last for the entire 20 days. A visit to Dong Zen Temple for the New Year has become a tradition for many domestic and international tourists. Starting at 31 January till 19 Feb from 10 am to 10pm.

In conjunction with the year of the pig, Ven master Hsing Yun`s Chinese couplet
`Always well-rounded and auspicious` .

After entering this road, walk straight until you see the big lantern-decked Dong Zen building on your right.

Giant Good Fortune and Happiness Lantern. Below big letters abbreviation "I❤FGS" for I Love Fo Guang Shan.

Could be easily mistaken for hot air balloon?

The temple is a popular place of worship and hosts a lot of religious activities and fairs. They also have an art gallery that exhibits works of art that are related to Buddhism.

An Art Gallery with artefacts exhibition, a calligraphy hall and a Relics Shrine.

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple (佛光山东禅寺) is one of the many branches of Buddhist temple established by the Buddhist monk, Master Hsing Yun.

FGS in Chinese, 佛光山 literally means “the Mountain of Buddha’s Light”.

It's the largest Buddhist order in Taiwan having been established by Master Hsing Yun in 1967.Branches have opened all over the world and it aims to promote Buddhism through its educational programmes and good deeds. Malaysia is one of the many branches of Fo Guang Shan (“FGS”) throughout the world.

Safety Advice. Glass can be dangerous. We have raised our concern of the visitors risk of crashing into glass door to one of the nun who was attending the FGS museum. One of the glass door was left opened while the other closed. Prior to this I have seen an old man walked straight into opened glass door. So hopefully in the future they should place something on the glass door like a CNY zodiac symbol with paper cut art to make it more visible.

To reduce the risk of accidental injury, many establishments use sections of frosted glass in doors to make them more conspicuous, or other means to identify clear glass in a door.

As Dong Zen gets very crowded at night, we usually plans our trip to arrive in Jenjarom before nightfall, taking the opportunity to stroll in the gardens to admire the beautiful orchids while waiting for the lights to come on.

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple: main prayer hall seats a large Buddha statue

Visitors must wear disposable socks which are provided before going inside the Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen temple to protect the marble floors from damage.

Eco Friendly Automatic Disposable Shoe Cover Machine. Will it make the debut one day?

This incredible gadget will automatically cover the bottom of your shoes when you step on it! It's almost like a mini shrink-wrapping machine for just the bottom of your shoes! To use it, just step onto the machine, and it will automatically wrap the bottom of your shoe with plastic and shrink wrap it to secure it in place.

Xuanzang traveled along what we now know as the Silk Road. He survived the dangerous Taklamakan Desert and continued through the high and harsh mountains of Tian Shan (literally, mountains of the heavens or sky).

Xuanzang: The Monk who Brought Buddhism East

One thing the temple is famous for is its annual lantern exhibits during the lunar new year. The lanterns are hand made by the monks and nuns and temple volunteer are a sight to behold at night, which appeared to be very skillfully crafted.

Volunteers, made up of craftsmen and engineers, designed and made the lanterns and figurines at the temple over the six months. So we really appreciate their time and amount of effort that they put into their job and we assure them that their efforts are significantly appreciated.

Zheng He (Chinese: 鄭和; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty.

He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family, later adopted the conferred surname Zheng from Emperor Yongle. Zheng commanded expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. His larger ships stretched 120 meters or more in length and carried hundreds of sailors on four tiers of decks.

In China, the calabash, or "bottle-gourd" plant, has long been used as a food and medicine, and its hard shell as a bottle, a dipper and even an ancient musical instrument.The gourd is popular as a charm to ward off evil spirits and disease because its first character (hulu 葫芦) has the same pronunciation as the word to "protect" or "guard" (hu 护) and also the word for "blessing" (hu 祜).

The Chinese believe the number "8" to be very auspicious and an omen for good luck. The gourd, as the gourd charm resembles the number "8".

The temple gardens are beautiful when the orchids are in bloom but I think the sheer crowds that throng the place causes it to lose some of its sereneness.

Feel like singing the song, Butterfly...

The song goes like this,

Butterfly, my butterfly, I’ll come home to you one day.
Butterfly, my butterfly, wait for me, don’t fly away

Every Chinese New Year the temple puts on a Lantern and Flora Festival and the whole place is transformed into a glittering wonderland of red lanterns, digital lights, illuminated gardens and colourful displays for kids and adults.

The weather is warm and sunny, most visitors
tend to come in the evening
when it's cooler.

This looks more like an act of vandalism.

Flower vandalism. It's disheartening. If it's kids you need to get hold of their parents. The parents should make the kids pay for replacements. Adults vandals must keep their itchy hands to themselves.

Pigs communicate constantly. More than 20 different vocalizations have been identified. All we hear is radio ga ga nope is Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O! And on that farm he had some pigs, E-I-E-I-O! With a oink-oink here and a oink-oink there Here an oink there an oink, ..

Pigs communicate with a variety of grunts and squeaks. A short grunt, a longer growl and a loud roar will warn other pigs of approaching danger. Pigs can't fly, but we can squeal!” . A pig's squeal can be as loud as 115 decibels – that's 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic airliner.

Pumbaa- wild Hog. I couldn't find his lantern.

Are you talking to *me*? Timon: Ya shouldn't have done that. Pumbaa: Are you talking to ME? Timon: Now they're in for it. Pumbaa: They call me MR. PIG. AHHHH!

Interesting Facts. The word ‘barbecue’ comes from the French who called their Caribbean pork feasts ‘de barbe et queue’, which means ‘from beard to tail’.

Pigs are one of the oldest forms of livestock, pigs were domesticated earlier than cows. Nowadays, pigs are farmed for their meat called ‘pork’, although some keep them as pets.

Today, more than 100 nations rely on the U.S. for their pork supplies, and the U.S. is the largest exporter of pork in the world, with 26% of total production going into the export market.

Most pigs raised in the United States are classified as meat-type pigs, as they produce more lean meat than lard, a fat used in cooking.

I was reading an article last week dated Oct 2, 2012 about a Oregon farmer eaten by his pigs ... out the possibility that the farmer could have collapsed from a medical emergency, such as a heart attack. The following day, Feb 8, 2019...I read the news about another incident from Udmurtiar in Russia farm. A farmer was eaten alive by pigs after collapsing in their pigsty. The 56-year-old woman is believed to have suffered an epileptic seizure while feeding the animals.

Some animals have memory of harm done to them can choose to take revenge for the harm inflicted on them. Does that include Pig?

Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Lately omnivores diet include human? They will eat almost anything – including human bones.

Pokemon that resemble pigs ? No wonder the name sound Porkemon.

Pignite
Fire Pig Pokémon チャオブー
Chaoboo

The temple, surrounded by luscious green gardens, is a popular stop for tourists to snap photographs and admire the well-designed landscaped gardens.

I like to get few uninterrupted scenery photo done before the guests arrive and relax for a moment in the calm just before the storm when there's peace and quiet.

In conjunction with the year of the pig, Ven master Hsing Yun`s Chinese couplet `Always well-rounded and auspicious` for the year of the pig, is the theme for the floral lantern starting at 31 January for a period of 20 days till 19 Feb.

The theme is positioned under the Fortune Tree which comes with three little pig figurines that represent goodness, diligence and unity.

How did the pig get up there? Fly? Can pig climb a tree? If the tree was slanted enough I guess they could, but that could also be just "walking on a tree and not climbing.

Figure of speech: 豬乸會上樹 - (lit. female pigs can climb tree) something impossible; "When pigs fly".

"The UFO Has Landed"

Another word for pig: hog, sow, boar, piggy, swine.

The largest pig on record was a Poland-China hog named ‘Big Bill’. He weighed a portly 2,552 lbs and was so large that he dragged his belly on the ground. He had a shoulder height of 5 feet and a length of 9 feet.

Hey Ladies!. A female pig is called a gilt if she hasn't had piglets yet and a sow if she has.

Pigs walk on only two of their toes on each feet. Pigs look like they are walking on tip toe.There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used by the pig for walking.

Pigs need glasses. Their eyesight is among the poorest of the barnyard species, but compensate with one of the most powerful noses. Their snout is actually 2,000 times more sensitive than the human nose.

This mama “singing” to her little babies is the sweetest thing imaginable. Oink Oink..Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Newborn piglets learn to run to their mother’s voice and to recognize their own names. Huh?

Well that's one trick you can never teach the pig to ride a bicycle like a dog riding a bicycle.

Pig looks slow and heavy. Look at you, old hairy guy with the big fat belly but don't let the looks fool you. Think that pigs are slow and lumbering? As it turns out, they're not at all!

Domestic pigs average a top speed of about 11 miles per hour. A wild boar, which isn't as fat-laden as a domestic pig, can reach speeds over 30 mph.

Pigs don't usually run in a straight line. They often zigzag in order to escape enemies or potential predators or from being eaten.

There are a lot of misconceptions about pigs,and it's one animal people don't really seem to understand. Pig general facts include: ...

“People think pigs are filthy, but that's not really true" or "You are sweating like a pig!”

While this phrase is a common insult, the science behind the statement is faulty. Pigs actually have a few sweat glands, which is why they tend to roll in the mud in nature to stay cool. Modern farming practices aim to regulate temperatures in the barn to keep the animals comfortable.

On the contrary they are cleaner than most human. Pigs would never make their sleeping or eating area dirty. If held under proper conditions, pigs are very hygienic actually. In their pen they use one area for a toilet, one area for their food and one area for sleeping. Pigs must have a warm, dry sleeping area.

During Chinese New Year period, there is usually a lantern festival during the night, and this temple would be a hive of business and activities, as throngs of people from all walks of life would make a visit to see the beautiful and colourful lanterns on display.

The kaleidoscope of colourful and brightly lit lanterns and lights would turn the whole area into a fairyland. It's a fantastic and wonderful experience to stroll around to take in all the sights and sounds. There would be several stalls selling vegetarian food and drinks in the compound of the temple.

At night, the lighting is switching on and the whole atmosphere is different! 'Let The Show Begin'

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple here greets the year of pig with a splendid 3D light festival themed by Ven Master Hsing Yun for a peaceful and prosperous year.

At nightfall the crowd already packed the courtyard. Tourists slowing down and admire different lantern shape, while some of them will take a picture. Others trying to walk through the pedestrian bottleneck. Chaotic traffic turns FGS into a pedestrian's nightmare.

Although it is nice to position with fountain lantern side by side, Zheng He voyages lantern and Xuanzang 20meter long lantern has caused the pedestrian narrow bottleneck. Perhaps the person in charge of arrangement need to avoid placing this tall and long lantern to give pedestrian flow through wide bottlenecks.

Xuanzang became a main character in the great Chinese epic Journey to the West.Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. More fun if the lantern with the four primary novel characters: Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie.

A wide-angle lens broadens the field of view of your camera, allowing you to take more dramatic landscape shots, or even better photos indoors or in confined spaces. Sadly you will not get a better photo with your own handphone as this place will be crowded with selfie sticks are an annoying obstacle when you're trying to manouvere yourself around crowded tourists.

In ancient time,the largest insects that ever lived are members of the extinct dragonfly-like order Protodonata, which means “early dragonfly.” The largest known species is the Late Permian Meganeuropsis permiana, with wingspans longer than 75 cm (30 in. or 2.5 ft) and an estimated weight of over 450 g (1 lb.), similar to a crow. This is larger than any insect that has ever lived, land- or air-based – the heaviest.

Dragonflies. These insects may look like scary biters, but they are only dangerous to mosquitoes. Dragonfly larvae, “nymphs,” feed on mosquito larvae, and adult dragonflies feed on adult mosquitoes.

The structure just like a scene from Tom Cruise War of the Worlds As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines.

Ven Jue Cheng said the theme ` always well-rounded and auspicious ` signifies smoothness for each visitor. With lights and musical performance, one can feel the joy and hope brought by spring.

The Three Little Pigs and Big Bad Wolf

This story is about three little pigs, which build home to safeguard them form the Big Bad wolf. The first little pig built his house out of straw because it was the easiest thing to do.

The second little pig built his house out of wood. This was a little bit stronger that a straw house. The third little pig built his house out of bricks.

The Big bad wolf who learnt that they live separately wishes to eat them up. Easy meat or so he thought. So he blows the house of straw and wood which forces the first two pigs to take shelter in the brick house. Then I´ll huff and I´ll puff and I´ll blow your house..

Both were screaming and running helter-skelter for their lives.

The Big bad wolf tries his best to blow the brick house in vain. The wolf tries in many ways and finally thought he outsmart them by climbs up on the roof and jumps in through a chimney but only to fall straight into the kettle of boiling water, which killed the big bad wolf. The first two little pigs build a Brick house for them and they live happily without the fear of the wolf.

Now can get a good night's sleep without any disturbance.. zzzz

Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place.

"Well, better late than never."

Many people think those pigs who are fat are generally lazy, dumb and greedy but in fact Pigs are believed to be one of most intelligent animals, following chimps, dolphins, and elephants. They surpass even man's best friend. So don't say Stupid pig cause they're smart.

The floral lanterns are made of recycle items where penguin lanterns used in previous years are turned into pig themed lanterns.

Aura cleansing is important for a healthy mind, body and spirit and to clearing away negative energies.

Use meditation technique to accomplish this. Purge out of the negative emotions of greed, anger, jealousy and hate. It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum.

Buddhism strongly recognizes the significance of auras, to such a degree that the colors of the Buddhist flag [blue, yellow, red, white, orange] represent the colors of the aura believed to have emanated from the body of Gautama Buddha when he attained Enlightenment.

How to make a fun, face in hole lantern zodiac face

'Stand ins' or 'head/face cut outs' on your preferred Chinese zodiac animals

Sorry, don't know how else to describe them. They are usually painted on plywood, sometimes they're more sculptural. They usually have cartoony people painted on the, but where the faces are supposed to be is a hole and you'r supposed to stand behind it and put your face their so you're the character.