Fo Guang Shan Temple is one of the largest and most famous temples in Taiwan. It is located in Kaohsiung City and attracts millions of visitors every year. This article will share with you some experiences of traveling to Fo Guang Shan Temple. Remember to follow.
Introduction to Fo Guang Shan Monastery
– Address : No. 1, Thong Linh Road, Da Thu District, Kaohsiung City
– Opening hours : 09:00 – 18:00 Monday to Thursday, except Tuesday.
Fo Guang Shan Temple is a beautiful temple located on the top of a mountain, famous for its magnificent natural scenery and unique architecture. This Buddhist temple is surrounded by green pine forests, rolling hills and clear streams, giving you a peaceful space close to nature.
Panoramic view of Fo Guang Shan Monastery.
Coming to Fo Guang Shan Monastery, you will not only discover a profound spiritual space but also have the opportunity to experience the beauty of nature and local culture. This temple is also a unique architectural work with many attractive attractions such as Niem Phat Mountain and Thien Nhon Lake.
Buddha statue system at Fo Guang Shan Monastery.
The architecture of Fo Guang Shan Monastery is inspired by the architecture of Indian stupas and Mahabodhi Temple, creating a perfect combination of art and religion. In particular, the 108m-high Great Sitting Buddha statue is an impressive highlight with 100,000 copies of the Heart Sutra inside. This further highlights the beauty and solemnity of the temple.
Fo Guang Shan Monastery stands out in the night.
With an area of up to 100 hectares, this temple is a massive architectural complex, worth exploring and experiencing. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to travel to Taiwan, do not miss this place.
The vast scale of Taiwan’s most unique temple.
How to get to Taiwan’s most famous Buddhist temple
To get to Taiwan, you can fly directly from Hanoi or Saigon with airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Eva Air or China Airways and land at Taoyuan International Airport. The total flight time is about 3 hours with ticket prices ranging from 4 million to over 8 million VND depending on the airline and seat class you choose.
After arriving at the airport, you can choose to travel by bus E02. The travel time is about 45 minutes from THSR Zuoying Station (Zuoying Station, station code R16) to Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center.
Bus E02 departs from stop 3 at Zuoying Station with a fare of NT$80.
Alternatively, if you want more convenience and speed, you can choose a taxi. The taxi fare from Zuoying Station to Fo Guang Shan Temple is around 700 – 800 New Taiwan Dollars.
Taoyuan International Airport is very modern.
Time to visit Fo Guang Shan Monastery
The best time to visit Fo Guang Shan Temple is in the spring from March to May. At this time, the weather in Taiwan is generally very suitable for you to pack your bags and explore the interesting places of this country. The weather is pleasant with cool air and the natural scenery around the temple becomes lush, creating a lively and peaceful picture. Spring is also the time when spiritual and cultural festivals take place, providing a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Buddhist traditions and spirituality.
The Buddha statue stands out against the deep blue spring sky.
Highlights of the sacred temple
Great Buddha Light Mountain
The Great Buddha is the proud symbol of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan. At 108m high, it is the tallest sitting Buddha statue in the world. Below the statue is the Sutra Copying Room, a place that preserves important Buddhist wisdom and spirituality. Surrounding the Great Buddha are four sacred towers: Guanyin Tower, Manjushri Tower, Ksitigarbha Tower and Samantabhadra Tower, creating a majestic and solemn architectural complex.
Dat Phat Quang Son is the tallest in the world.
Buddhist Memorial Center
To honor and preserve the Fo Guang Shan relics, a great treasure in the Buddhist world, Master Hsing Yun built the Fo Guang Shan Memorial Hall in Da Shu District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The memorial hall was inaugurated on December 25, 2011 after nine years of construction, since 2003.
The main gate leading into the memorial center.
Fo Guang Shan Memorial Hall covers an area of over 100 hectares, with a 4,000-square-meter main hall, including a basement and five floors above ground. In addition, the area also has eight pagodas symbolizing the “Eightfold Path” and four Bodhi-Gaya-Samadhi Stupas, symbolizing the “Four Noble Truths”. Underground are 48 underground chambers containing many Buddhist relics such as the golden sand of the Ganges River, the stone of the Dharmachakra Stupa, the five-grain bricks of the Nirvana Stupa, and more.
This place owns the treasure of Buddha’s relics.
The Library
The Sutra Repository at Fo Guang Shan Monastery is a sacred space where the abbot’s body is kept behind a cloth. The walls are decorated with the abbot’s handwriting, demonstrating his devotion even at the age of 89. Visitors are not allowed to take photos of the abbot’s body, but can take photos around it. From the Sutra Repository courtyard, you can see the Gaopingji River and Pingtung City in the distance.
The Library is a sacred place.
Main hall of the temple
The main hall of the temple was built in 1975. The highlight of this main hall is the presence of three Buddha statues: Shakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha of Medicine, and Amitabha Buddha. Around the Great Hall are 14,800 statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, creating a solemn spiritual space.
Notably, the foundation of the main shrine was built from stones taken from the Vajra Throne in India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment and preached. The stone, made from Ganges River mud and grain flour, is a powerful symbol of the continuation of the Buddha’s teachings.
Buddha tooth relic
When visiting Fo Guang Shan, the most special attraction is the Buddha Tooth Relic (佛牙舍利), a supreme treasure in the Buddhist world. According to legend, after the Buddha entered nirvana, his entire body turned into tiny relics, leaving only four intact teeth. Of these, one was taken to Heaven by the Celestial Emperor Cixia Li, while the other three remained on earth. Currently, there are only three Buddha Tooth Relics left in the world, with one at Fo Guang Shan, and the other two in Sri Lanka and China. The relic at Fo Guang Shan is respectfully placed in the Jade Buddha Hall – the Buddha Remembrance Hall.
The Noble Eightfold Path
When visiting the Buddha Monument at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, one of the highlights that cannot be missed is the eight beautiful towers located on both sides of Bodhi Square, symbolizing the Noble Eightfold Path. Each tower is designed with seven identical square floors and an impressive height of up to 38 meters, an architectural work that is both majestic and sophisticated.
Constructed of sturdy reinforced concrete with a striking yellow sandstone base and marble exterior, each tower exemplifies the harmonious blend of art and spirituality.
The bird-tiled roofs and stone balustrades add to the ancient and majestic beauty of the entire complex. These towers not only beautify the landscape of the Memorial but also reflect the profound teachings of Buddhism, inviting you to learn more about the path of practice and enlightenment according to the Buddha’s words.
The Noble Eightfold Path represents the mysterious teachings of Buddhism.
Through the detailed and fascinating sharing about Fo Guang Shan Temple, we hope you feel excited and ready to start a spiritual adventure to one of the most famous temples in Taiwan. Don’t hesitate any longer, quickly book a flight to Taiwan and plan your trip. Don’t forget to share interesting things about your journey with the travel guide.
Đài Loan
