Chinese Manoa Cemetery

  A beautiful Chinese cemetery sits atop a green hill deep within Manoa Valley. Also known at Lin Yee Chung Manoa Chinese Cemetery, this spot is open for visitors until 6pm daily. Heidi and I had turned back from doing a late Manoa waterfall hike due to some rain showers so we decided to walk around the cemetery grounds instead.

  I had been here before but never close to sunset. The low sun cast long shadows on the gravestones and gave the entire scene an ethereal aura. We could look down the valley towards the ocean and see the high rises of Waikiki, but it seemed very far away from our serene spot. Giant plumeria trees offered easy pickings for flower offerings for the deceased. And intricately carved animal statues stood guard over some of the bigger graves. At the top of the hill stood a huge banyan tree and the grave of Lin Yee Chung, the grand ancestor.

  Heidi and I walked around for a while, never seeing another soul. In our exploration we stumbled across statues of the Chinese new year animals. Heidi posed next to hers, the dog, and I threw out my best monkey pose. Both animals are very fitting.

  I don't know if I will see this place so gorgeous ever again. The dark rain clouds behind, beautiful foliage within, and incredible colors all lit up during the magic hour. It's times like this I am glad I have a camera.