Serene temples offer welcome respite from city life

For the visit to Dayunfeng Temple, a Buddhist structure originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Lyu took a Friday off and packed a few essentials for the train journey.

"The trip provided me with a totally new experience. I am not religious, but it felt really good to experience the kindness and devotion shown by those at the temple," she said.

During her stay, Lyu helped clean the dormitories and prepare food as part of her voluntary work. She rose early each day and went to bed shortly after darkness fell.

One of the things she liked most about her visit was being able to relax in the temple courtyard as the wind blew from the mountains.

"Life suddenly became simple, and all my worries seemed to disappear," she said.

Lyu said she is generally outgoing, as she loves to spend time with friends watching arts performances, but the serenity at the temple gave her an inner peace.