Hanlu Temple · Notes
Why three bows?
Three is the default number of bows in a Chinese temple. The number is not decorative.
What the three mark
The usual reading is the Three Jewels: buddha, dharma, sangha. Bowing three times is paying respects to all three, in order.
A second reading maps the three onto body, speech and mind — the three doors through which, in Buddhist teaching, everything you do passes.
The full prostration
A full bow goes down on both knees, then forearms and forehead to the floor, palms up. Standing bows are also common and are what most visitors do.
The technical detail matters less than the pace. Rushing a prostration is the one thing that reads as insincere, to others and to yourself.
Habits inside the hall
Bow towards the altar, not towards other people. If someone is already bowing, wait or use a different cushion. Do not walk in front of someone mid-bow.
Three is the default, but one is acceptable, and so is none — standing quietly for a minute is not a lesser act.
In Hanlu Temple
The courtyard lets you bow three times with the mouse or the keyboard, and the third one is deliberately slower. That pause is the whole point of the sequence.
These are common explanations, not rules; local practice differs, and the temple in front of you has the final say. Hanlu Temple promises nothing and gives no medical, financial or legal advice.