Buzz
It can be said that Buddhism in Asia has spread quietly over hundreds of years and has manifested in various ways. As a master who traveled the world to share wisdom with those who were eager to learn and understand, Buddha Shakyamuni set a precedent. He directed his disciples to go everywhere to preach his teachings. Buddha Shakyamuni did not urge others to abandon their own religions to follow a new one, as he did not intend to establish a religion of his own.
Buddha Shakyamuni
In Taiwan, Buddhism is one of the major religions. The people of Taiwan mainly practice Mahayana Buddhism and traditional Taoism. The roles for religious specialists in both Buddhist and Taoist traditions are present in significant life events such as childbirth and funerals. About 35% of the population in Taiwan believe in Buddhism. Today, let's explore a place known as the Buddhist Capital named Phật Quang Sơn.
Where is Phật Quang Sơn and Its Formation History
Phật Quang Sơn - Fo Guang Shan (佛光山) is one of the four largest Buddhist organizations in Taiwan. Situated in the northeast of Dai Tho Village, Kaohsiung City, Southern Taiwan, it is a must-visit destination when traveling to this island nation and is also the most famous site in Kaohsiung.
A panoramic view of Phật Quang Sơn from above
Master Hsing Yun founded a temple called Shoushan in Kaohsiung in 1927. Later, due to the rapid increase of Buddhists, the temple became too small for its purpose. To meet the needs of more believers, the Kaohsiung Buddhist Cultural Services Center was sold in 1967, and the proceeds were used to purchase 194 hectares of land in Dashu District to build a new temple called Phật Quang Sơn.
Map of Phật Quang Sơn Tour
The temple consists of a Buddhist college, a childcare center, a main hall, and other services. In 1997, the temple closed to provide monks with a quieter place for meditation and Buddhist practice. Three years later, the temple reopened. Grand Master Hsing Yun traveled to Bodhgaya in India in 1998 to attend the International Three Steps, One Bow ceremony. A Tibetan Buddhist leader - Gongkar Dorje Dhenpa Rinpoche - presented Master Hsing Yun with a relic of the Buddha to be enshrined at Phật Quang Sơn. This gift spurred the construction of a Buddha Memorial Center at the temple. The final design includes eight temples in the front, a large Buddha statue in the rear, with mountains to the south and a park to the north - an exquisite platform. The Buddha statue behind the museum is the world's tallest bronze Buddha statue, instantly becoming a famous landmark in southern Taiwan.
How to Get to Phật Quang Sơn
First, to reach Phật Quang Sơn, take the Metro/MRT to Kaohsiung Zuoying Station, which is Kaohsiung's high-speed rail station. Then exit the station from the rear and head towards the bus terminal.
The best time to visit the temple is in the morning as you'll need a few hours there, and then you can return and explore Lotus Pond and Ruifeng Night Market in Kaohsiung.
Bus E02 and Bus 8501 to Phật Quang Sơn run frequently and are yellow buses.
You'll need to pay with your EasyCard (a popular card in Taiwan), which you can also use for the MRT and buses in Kaohsiung and Taiwan. The bus from Kaohsiung to Phật Quang Sơn takes about 30 minutes.
Exploring the architecture of Phật Quang Sơn temple
The temple covers a vast area and is divided into 3 parts: the Buddha Museum, the Scripture Repository, and the Phật Quang Sơn Monastery. It's a complex of extremely grand architecture, bearing the distinctive features of Mahayana Buddhism. The most impressive feature is the giant Buddha statue placed at the center of the temple. Standing at 108 meters tall, it currently holds the world record for this height. Inside this precious statue are 100 copies of the Vạn Bảo Tâm Kinh transcribed by hundreds of devout Buddhists.
1. Layout of Phật Quang Sơn temple
Phật Quang Sơn temple has a beautiful lotus flower-shaped layout. It is built on five small mountain peaks, following the design of monasteries built on the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism.
Entrance pathway to the temple
2. Memorial Center of Buddha
Covering an area of approximately 100 hectares, the memorial center of Buddha took nine years to complete. In addition to the main building, the center includes eight temples at the front, a Buddha statue at the rear, a park to the north, and mountains to the south.
Memorial Center of Buddha
First is the main entrance, where you'll encounter the solemn and reverent Grand Hall, eight temples, a rooftop, the Bodhi Wisdom Waiting Room, the main hall of the Buddha museum, and finally the Great Buddha of Phật Quang. Outside the main hall are two groups of statues. On the right is a group of white elephants because it is said that the Buddha rode an elephant into his mother's womb. The lion statue on the left symbolizes the majesty of the Buddha. Behind the main hall is a path leading to the Bodhi Main Hall, spanning about 100 meters wide. On both sides of the waiting room are relief sculptures depicting virtuous monks, and a portrait of Master Hsing Yun. The waiting room is also surrounded by statues of eighteen Arhats.
A group of white elephants stand at the front of the Center.
3. Main Hall and Pathway to Phật Quả
Phật Quang Sơn Temple's main hall was built in 1975. The three main Buddha statues enshrined in the hall are Shakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajaguru Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. 14,800 statues of Shakyamuni Buddha surround the Grand Hall. Adjacent to the main hall are two jade-like light temples, each nine meters high, symbolizing the Buddha's light enveloping all beings.
Main Hall of Phật Quang Sơn Temple
Part of the foundation of the main hall is built from stones taken from the Diamond Throne in India, where the Buddha preached and attained enlightenment. An ancient Indian king created this type of stone from mud from the Ganges River and rice flour, considered a formidable material in Buddhism. Using this stone here symbolizes the continuation of the Buddha's teachings on the right Dharma. A plaque with the words 'Den of Great Heroes' hangs above the main entrance. This plaque was written by Zhang Daqian (1899 – 1983), a famous calligrapher. The neatly paved square pathway leading to the main hall is called the Pathway to Enlightenment, built to accommodate over 10,000 people.
4. Great Buddha Land
Built in 1975, the Great Buddha Land is one of the oldest landmarks of Phật Quang Sơn Temple. It features 480 Buddha statues surrounding a 40-meter-high Great Buddha statue. The smaller statues depict the life of the Buddha. Towering above the other statues, the Great Buddha is the tallest Buddha statue in Southeast Asia and can be seen from several kilometers away.
The 40-meter-tall Statue of the Buddha
The right hand of the Great Buddha is raised to signify that the Buddha is bringing light to the world, like a lighthouse illuminating the sea. The left hand of the Great Buddha is in a welcoming gesture, inviting people to the land of peace. The Great Buddha statue is placed on a lotus flower, which also serves as the entrance to the Great Buddha Land.
View of the Great Buddha Land from afar
The walls are engraved with verses of repentance and teachings of the Buddha, along with thirty-five Buddha statues carved in jade. Additionally, there are many vivid statues of various Buddhas and Diamond Protectors placed throughout the area.
The image of the Buddha is engraved on the tower.
Along both sides of the pathway leading to the Great Buddha Land are towering pagodas.
The Great Buddha Statue
5. The Buddhist Museum of Phật Quang Sơn
The Buddha Museum of Phật Quang Sơn (Chinese: 佛光山佛陀紀念館), formerly known as the Buddha Memorial Center, is a cultural, religious, and educational museum of Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddhist museum has a U-shaped layout, covering an area of 2.65 hectares. Its exterior resembles the Thousand Buddha Caves in Dunhuang, China. Based on historical sources, the museum itself is constructed from a mix of building materials including golden stone, glutinous rice, black sugar, and live lime. There are eighteen exhibition rooms in the museum, preserving numerous statues, religious artifacts, and calligraphy from around the world.
The entrance gate leading to the Buddha Museum of Phật Quang Sơn
The museum is located adjacent to the Fo Guang Shan Monastery. This is where one of the relics of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is preserved. The opportunity to witness the relic is not easy, as it is not displayed regularly and is kept extremely secret to ensure its safety. Therefore, only fortunate and successfully enlightened Buddhists can admire the beauty of the Buddha relic. Sometimes on major commemorative days, under auspicious circumstances, the relic may be temporarily exhibited.
An exhibition corner inside the museum
Along the museum corridor are paintings depicting the life of the Buddha.
Construction of the Phật Quang Sơn Museum began in 2008 and officially opened to visitors in December 2011. Over 100 changes have been made to the museum's actual design since its opening. Just before the museum's foundation was completed, Venerable Hsing Yun outlined a plan for the future of the Buddha Museum, which involved using some bottles of mineral water, tissue boxes, and newspapers.
Phật Quang Sơn – A must-visit destination when traveling to Taiwan
With the strong development of Buddhism in Taiwan, Phật Quang Sơn Temple has been growing and becoming an indispensable spiritual center for many Buddhists and locals. Much credit goes to the enlightenment efforts of the temple's founder, Master Tinh Vân, who has spread humanistic teachings of Buddhism far and wide. Today, it has become a famous tourist spot not to be missed when visiting the island of Taiwan.
Author: Tran Thi Nhu Quynh
*This article is part of the Mytour Goglobal program
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