A Church and Traditional Chinese Doctor in Moxi Old Town, Western Sichuan
There was nothing on the schedule today but a leisurely walk about Moxi on a sunny, hot day. Moxi is an ancient township that is growing by leaps and bounds. Construction takes place 24/7 and the remaining old section now consists of only a few blocks. Hotel after hotel, Condos and shopping centers are going up throughout Moxi. Goodbye, old Moxi.
A Catholic Church was constructed by a French missionary in 1931 over the remains of a Buddhist temple and this was the first church we'd seen throughout this China vacation. It is still a working church, services are held on Sunday and the caretaker/guardian (same one who keeps a close watch on the house where Mao stayed) unlocked it for a visit. It would be difficult to miss seeing a church with chinese-style roofs while walking around Moxi...
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This Church is also referred to as the "Christmas Tree Temple" because there is a little Christmas tree strung with blinking Christmas lights that is illuminated all year. The inside was beautiful...View image...and different with a mixture of styles. Green and blue tiled ceiling...View image, red Chinese touches and old wooden pews...View image.
Back on Moxi's two remaining old blocks, Mr. Wang stopped us to point out a traditional Chinese Doctor treating a patient in his store front office. We spent quite a bit of time talking, translating, talking, translating because not only is Doctor 95 years old, has second wife (age 89) and still sharp as a tack but he still smokes like a fiend! (Take that all you anti-smoking legislators...it certainly hasn't harmed him...and, FYI, we don't smoke.)
Chinese Doctor's father and grandfather were traditional medicine doctors. His doctor son is carrying on the family tradition and running a local clinic. He showed us how his different roots, insects, and tree barks were ground up for headaches, coughs, colds and other maladies. His eyes give him a little trouble now (probably cataracts) but he will never retire, just continue treating patients until he dies.
There was still a little more Moxi...
