Inside Fo Guang Shan - the museum with the largest bronze statue in Asia
Yellow River•December 19, 2024 19:27
The entire massive architectural complex of the famous Buddhist capital of Taiwan includes the Tai Hung Bao Dien, the Buddhist museum and the bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha, 108m high from base to top.
Fo Guang Shan is one of the largest Buddhist centers in Taiwan (China), located in Kaohsiung city.Fo Guang Shan is also one of the famous tourist attractions in Taiwan.Fo Guang Shan is a large temple complex. Early morning and late afternoon are ideal times to admire the temple’s landscape and structures. The sunlight at this time is beautiful, creating an impressive, peaceful scene.The massive architectural works here include Dai Hung Bao Dien, Buddhist Museum and the most prominent is the bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha, 10m high (108m high from base to top).Fo Guang Shan was founded in 1967 by Master Hsing Yun, who wished to build a Buddhist center that combined academics, practice, and social service to propagate the Buddha Dharma and teachings of compassion.What makes Fo Guang Shan different is the Eightfold Path area, where eight towers are divided equally on both sides, creating a landscape design highlight, expressing the quintessence of Buddhist teachings.The space here is quiet and sacred, especially at sunset.
The image of the stupa of Manjushri Bodhisattva, the symbol of wisdom, one of the important Bodhisattvas, appears in almost all the scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism.
Going deeper inside, visitors will reach the underground palace, where many antiquities related to Buddhism and human historical artifacts are kept.Among them is a sitting Bodhisattva statue, made of wood, 132cm high, 81cm wide, 62cm thick, dating from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).Marble from the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), 12cm high, 40cm long and wide.Outside the door hangs this relic picture for visitors to learn more about Buddha's relics.Fo Guang Shan glows brightly at night. Deep inside is the Buddha Memorial Center, where the Buddha tooth relic, a sacred treasure gifted to Master Hsing Yun by the Sri Lankan government, is on display. Visitors can only view it from a distance and are not allowed to take videos or photos.
