Customer Reviews

Travels Through Sacred China: Guide to the Soul and Spiritual Heritage of China

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When I first went to China I visited Buddhist, Doaist and Confucian temples. While I loved the ambience, the architecture and, in many, the gardens, I was increasingly frustrated by my ignorance of the meaning of it all. Then I found Travels in Sacred China.

This book holds a wealth of easily understood information about all three of these religions-come-philosophies. In addition it has sections about Shamanism, Islam and Christianity in China.

The book is set out in three main parts. The first is introductory. The easy stuff dealt with, the second part deals with Chinese deities, outlining details of their roles and stories about their origins. Palmer devotes a chapter each to Buddhism and Daoism. The quick reference guide within this chapter gives alphabetically arranged summaries about the most important deities. The third part describes the architecture of these religions. Separate chapters describe temples and monasteries, sacred mountains and Buddhist caves and grottoes. Maps of famous temples assist the understanding.

The concluding section of the book briefly covers minor deities and other religions. It has, province by province, lists of sacred buildings and mountains to visit and basic information about them.

There is a wealth of information within this book. It could be overwhelming but Martin Palmer's relaxed style of writing, his compassion and his inclusion of many personal experiences and those of his friends, helps maintain a lively and easy reading experience. This is a book to read from cover to cover, then come back and dip into again and again. It is the book to have in your back pocket if you are even remotely interested in Chinese religion. After traveling for an extended period in China you will need it, as no-one can be impervious to at least the architecture of its religions.