FO GUANG SHAN FAST FACTS –
- Location: Dashu, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- Opening Hours: Daily 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Telephone: +886-7-656-3033.
- Address: 153, Xingtian Rd., Dashu Dist., Kaohsiung City.
- Official Website: http://www.fgsbmc.org.tw/en/index.aspx
The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is a Mahayana Buddhist cultural, religious and educational museum located in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, Dashu District. The museum is affiliated with Fo Guang Shan, one of Taiwan’s largest Buddhist organizations. The museum purportedly houses one of the tooth relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist faith. Construction of the museum began in 2008, and the museum was opened to the public in December 2011. The museum was accepted as the youngest member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 2014. Since its opening, the Buddha Museum has frequently been featured in the top 10 landmarks of Taiwan on TripAdvisor.
In 1998 Venerable Master Hsing Yun traveled to Bodh Gaya, India to confer the precepts for full ordination. He was entrusted with a tooth relic by Kunga Dorje Rinpoche who had safeguarded the relic for nearly thirty years. Rinpoche was touched by the efforts of Fo Guang Shan in promoting exchanges between different Buddhist traditions, and he hoped that the relic could be enshrined in Taiwan as a symbol of Dharma preservation. Venerable Master Hsing Yun says, “The Buddha does not need any anybody’s worship or reverence, it is living beings that need inspiration to develop wholesome thoughts and purify their minds. By worshipping a memorial, people can come to know the Buddha’s Dharma body, and their feelings of admiration can be elevated into wanting to learn about the Buddha’s virtues and practice them in everyday life. The Buddha doesn’t need a memorial, but living beings do. I built this pagoda with this in mind.
The Mission of the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is to preserve human civilization and record human history, to promote Buddhist arts through exhibitions and academic conferences, to gain mutual support and encourage new ideas through inter-museum interactions, to promote cultural arts and environmental protection, and to conduct acts of public services.
The Mission of Venerable Master Hsing Yun is based on his philosophy, including the Three Acts of Goodness – being Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, and Think Good Thoughts, and The Four Givings – which are Giving Others Confidence, Giving Others Joy, Giving Others Hope, and Giving Others Convenience.
The Front Hall is flanked by the Gate of Perfect Ease and the Gate of Liberation. The lion and elephant, both accompanied by smaller cubs, welcome guests from either side of the doors. The elephant on the right, measuring five-meters tall and six-meters long, symbolizes the conception of Prince Siddhartha who entered the womb of his mother on a white elephant. The lion on the left has the same measurements and represents the Buddha’s roar of teachings.
GETTING THERE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION –
- Get to the Zuoying KRT Station where your trip will begin (note the Kaohsiung HRT systems are at the same station)
- Head toward Exit 1, where you will see the bus station
- The bus service Number is 8501, and will travel to the E-DA theme park, Fo Guang Shan or Buddist Memorial Center.
- The bus service 8501 is at platforms 5, and you can check the arrival time of the bus service at the platform.
- The bus fare is $65 for adults and $33 for children to Fo Guang Shan.
- If you are paying with cash, please make sure you have the exact fare, as the driver will not provide change.
- Remember to keep your ticket as you will use it when you arrive. The travel time taken for the whole journey (from Zuoying KRT) is about 50 minutes.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION –
- Inside, you can borrow wheelchairs and baby-strollers from the Information Desk.
- There are restaurants and a buffet on site, including Starbucks.
- There is a semi-permanent shop dedicated to Wu Ching, a sculptor who became famous for his work with gold and who was one of the first exhibits at the museum, near one of the exits. Liuli Gongfang also has a shop/gallery opposite one of the restaurants featuring work by the artist Loretta Yang, whose Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyes Avalokiteśvara statue is a permanent fixture in the Avalokiteśvara Shrine.
Reservations
Front Desk