Taiwan's New Buddha Memorial Hall

A Buddha memorial hall built by the Fo Guang Shan Monastery was unveiled December 25,2011 in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, attracting more than 20,000 visitors eager for a peek at one of the grandest Buddha halls in Taiwan.

With funding entirely from the private sector, the five-story memorial hall was unveiled earlier in the day after nine years of construction.

The 4,000 ping (13,240 square meter) establishment, which has eight stupas, 48 underground palaces and the world's tallest Buddha statue at 108 meters high, drew hundreds of tourist buses and cars that jammed traffic on Provincial Highway No. 21.


















Many were stuck in jams for more than 30 minutes, prompting the Kaohsiung City Police Department to issue an apology and give an assurance that more effort will be devoted to providing better traffic controls during similar events in the future.

President Ma Ying-jeou, who took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the hall, praised the humanitarian aid provided by the monastery around the world, adding that the charity group does not get any funding from the government and in fact donates funds to the government to assist with disaster-relief efforts.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, said the memorial hall is free entry, adding that it was established to provide visitors with peace of mind.

He also urged people to not get too involved in the upcoming elections, saying too much of anything does not benefit the peaceful development of a society.