The marble base of the boat was originally a platform for a Ming dynasty Buddhist monastery where fish and birds intended for the marketplace were released by the devout in order to gain karmic merit.

这个石舫的基石最初是明朝佛教修道院，用来虔诚的发放食物供鱼和小鸟食用的。

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In Myanmar, where Buddhist temples and monks proliferate, merit is attained through good deeds such as the release of caged birds and trapped fish.

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