Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, a 100-hectare Buddhist complex in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is one of the city's most famous attractions. Established by Master Hsing Yun in 2001 and completed over a decade, the museum was built to preserve one of Sakyamuni Buddha's tooth relics and to promote Buddhist teachings and practice.
The museum is free to enter and accessible from downtown Kaohsiung via private vehicles or public transportation, including buses and trains.
Visitors enter through the main gate to find eight pagodas lining the central boulevard, leading to the Buddha statue at its center. Each 38-meter-high pagoda reflects Chinese design, symbolizing the Noble Eightfold Path and the spread of Buddhism from India to China, where it flourished.
Inside the pagodas are exhibition halls, spaces for Buddhist training, libraries, and reception areas. Some are also available for hosting events in line with the site's spiritual theme.
The centerpiece of the complex is a 108-meter-tall seated bronze Buddha statue, the largest of its kind in Asia. The Buddha's right hand is held near the chest, with fingers forming a shape resembling a lotus flower, symbolizing spiritual growth. The left hand is extended downward, palm open and facing outward, as if offering blessings.
Beyond the statue, the museum's main hall offers themed exhibitions. The interior, with sections, can be overwhelming, so visitors are advised to keep track of their route to avoid getting lost.
In 2022, the museum conducted a poll to identify its 10 most significant Buddhist treasures, each symbolizing the propagation of Buddhist teachings, including the Buddha's tooth relic, the Great Buddha statue, and the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara.
Among these, the Buddha and 500 Arhats, carved from camphor wood, stand in the main hall. The crafted 2-meter-high piece depicts the Buddha delivering a sermon to 500 Arhats at Vulture Peak. Other treasures are scattered throughout the museum, though photography is restricted in certain areas.
On the ground floor, visitors can explore the subterranean chamber housing Buddhist artifacts and historical items.
Beneath the complex, there are 48 underground palaces designed as time capsules to preserve human memories. These capsules are designed to be opened every 100 years. A countdown clock marks the time left until the next opening, with the current wait being over 86 years. Each year, Fo Guang Shan holds a ceremony to store artifacts collected from around the world.
The upper terrace, where the Great Buddha statue stands, offers the closest view of this monument. The area also features four pagodas dedicated to Bodhisattvas, including Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Ksitigarbha, and Samantabhadra.
Visitors are encouraged to perform a clockwise circumambulation of the pagodas as a gesture of reverence, prayer, and merit accumulation.
The image shows a pagoda housing a statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva inside.
The museum operates until 6 p.m. daily, closing on Tuesdays except during significant festivals. Visitors staying late can witness the sight of Fo Guang Shan illuminated at night, casting a glow across the entire complex.
