Man Mo Temple, Hong Kong.

Located on the Holywood Road / Ladder Street junction just up from the antiques market on Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street) The Man Mo Temple dates back to the 1840s and is the most important Taoist Temple on Hong Kong Island.

The temple takes it's name from the two deities: Man, the god of literature and Mo, the god of war. During the early 1900s locals would come here to settle disputes that could not be solved under British law, instead using the traditional methods of the Qing Dynasty of making promises to resolve their differences.

The most notable features of the temple are the huge incense coils suspended from the roof. These are burned by patrons seeking fulfillment of their wishes, such as good health or a successful business deal, and may burn as long as 3 weeks. Their burning fills the temple with a fragrant, smokey haze.

A little bit of Japan in the heart of San Francisco.

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is located in the splendid Golden Gate Park and is high on the "must see" list of things to do.

Being fond of most things connected with the Far East I had to pay a visit and sure enough was not disappointed.  This is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, dating back to 1894, and was originally designed and created by Makoto Hagiwara.

Japanese architecture is truly amazing.  The spectacular gateways in this garden were built by Japanese craftsmen trained in the art of traditional carpentry and constructed from Japanese Hinoki Cypress.  The fascinating thing about these traditional construction techniques is that these buildings are built entirely without the use of nails.  The timbers fit intricately together to create a terrifically strong and beautifully ornate structure.

The Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple in Delhi is a breathtakingly beautiful structure set amongst equally beautiful gardens.

Styled to resemble a lotus flower, the Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship which is open to people of all religions.  A Bahá'í House of Worship is a gathering place for those of all religions but no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.