Sometimes the laws of physics seem to take a break at Longshan Temple. The visitor followed the instructions exactly: first he asked the temple deity Guanyin a question, then he threw two crescent-shaped pieces of wood onto the ground. If one piece of wood comes up with the flat side and one with the curved side, the answer is positive. Two curved sides mean a clear no. But the oracle woods don’t follow the rules. They fall neither on the curved nor on the flat sides, but balance on their narrow tips until they roll clattering under a sacrificial table. The surrounding believers watch the unintentional feat in fascination. They undoubtedly believe it to be the work of Guanyin, the main deity of Longshan Temple.
