Just the other day, I saw in FB a video clip of two young teenagers stealing the bronze or copper urn from a Chinese temple in Penang. We often heard of tomb raiders but temple raiders probably are as common. In ancient Ayutthaya, Thailand, some wats had been known to be robbed and looted; in Busan's Bulguksa Temple, too. Bulguksa Temple originally called Hwaeom Bulguksa Temple or Beopryusa Temple was built in 528 during the Silla Kingdom in the 15th year of King Beop-Heung's reign. I thought the curved roofs and some of the deities there were distinctively Chinese. My friends and I had a pleasant time there, exploring the big temple grounds, enjoying the cool summer weather. One wouldn't have guessed that the temple had been damaged many times throughout history, burned down even but then of course, it had also been renovated many times. I wonder when the big, golden rat statue which my friends and I had a fun time rubbing for good luck came into being.
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