The Wider Image: Taoist priest honours China's coronavirus dead with memorial tablets
Priest Xia Shiran, 25, sweeps stairs on the day of Hungry Ghost Festival, at Taoist monastery Jiuyang Palace, in Laiwu of Jinan city, Shandong province, China, September 2, 2020. Shiran encountered priest Liang Xingyang's Weibo channel. He was surprised that a Taoist priest could be so active on social media. Out of curiosity, he started to learn more about him. In 2015, he was converted to Taoism and two years later he started living in the temple. "Almost everyone has a fantasy about Taoist life as if priests don't ever eat or walk, or don't use money. After I became one, I realized that they are normal people, and everyone is just studying non-stop," Shiran said. "From here above we can see the downhill villages. It's definitely more convenient to eat and commute in the city. However they might dream of better air quality, slower pace of life and quieter natural environment we have up here. When life on the mountain becomes hard, I think of those who envy our lives. Everyone has different moments of happiness and comfort though each of us envies others." REUTERS/Tingshu Wang SEARCH "TAOISM TINGSHU" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES
