Buddha Museum and Lotus Pond

Summary

• Among the many temples in Kaohsiung, some spread their ideas using artistic and creative architecture. They have original main temple buildings but sometimes feature another building targeted at tourists.
• While Lotus Pond is home to many colorful statues and ornaments, the Buddha Museum has an impressive collection of Buddhist art.

Highlights

Station

• Even the subway utilizes art for tourism and collaborates with Japanese mascot characters.
• At the train station, an old railroad crossing was transformed into art.

Lotus Pond

• Lotus Pond is surrounded by many gorgeous and historical temples, and we can enjoy most of them by walking around.

Kaohsiung City Temple of Confucius

• Confucius, known as 孔子, is the focus of this primary temple, which has many branches across the country.
• Although it is not flashy, its magnificent scale and calm environment create a sacred atmosphere.
• Unlike many other temples, this temple doesn’t have a statue of Buddha. I felt this temple is similar to a Japanese shrine, which sometimes enshrines ancestors.

Zuoying Yuandi Temple

• Located in the middle of the pond, you will instantly recognize it by the giant statue of the god.
• There is a temple inside the shrine, and we can climb up inside it. The statue is decorated with colorful and playful colors, and there are many enjoyable features, such as a chicken fortune-telling dispenser.

Spring and Autumn Pavilions

• The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are much more famous; however, since they have been closed for a while, these pavilions function as a substitute.
• There is a lively and eye-catching dragon among the pavilions, and we can walk inside of it.
• We can also access pathways around it so we can take photos from multiple angles.

Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

• They were under renovation, but we could still glimpse their structure and enjoy the beautiful temples surrounding them.
• Not only do they have temples, but they also feature an impressive number and variety of stalls along the way. It was a real pleasure to finally find Taiwan mango! The stalls tend to offer more traditional and local food, so you will definitely find something different.

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

Architecture

• Fo Guang Shan is a huge temple that covers extensive portions of the mountain, but this museum is targeted at tourists and is intended to spread Buddhist ideas while being relatively easy to walk around.
• The museum is located in the basement of the Buddha statue.
• The Buddhas appearing among tall towers are iconic, and they have a stunning light show on New Year's.

The Life of Buddha

• The exhibition starts with a 4D theater, followed by explanations using figures and paintings. The illuminated paintings were beautiful, and the exquisite Buddha statue at the end was also impressive.

Buddhist Art Using Amber

• Buddha and its art are sometimes created using luxurious materials such as emerald, gold, and amber.
• This exhibition shows the beauty of amber stones themselves and their application in mosaic art and sculpture.
• The abstraction and diversity of gem colors were particularly interesting.

Paintings

• Buddhism is sometimes known for its practice of copying sutras. We can see a beautiful combination of paintings and text, and I especially liked the unique pieces from Thailand.

History of the Founder

• Religion is not solely about spreading its ideas; philanthropy is also a key activity.
• This temple has even created a university and connects people internationally by hosting events.
• The museum is free of charge, but they have a unique interactive donation box, so it is highly recommended to try them all.

Digitalized Buddhist Heritage

• We can see Buddhist architecture from across the globe, captured by the latest 3D scanning technology.
• The 360-degree screens and 3D models of statues enable us to explore them freely and permanently.

Specimens

• This museum also focuses on the preservation of nature. The exhibition shows the history of Taiwan's ecosystem and how to preserve it.

Underground Palace Museum

• The underground palace looks a little bit creepy, but exploring it is exciting.
• Having been underground for hundreds of years, artifacts are kept intact and provide a rare opportunity to observe the detailed surfaces of ancient works.

Buddhist Culture

I- Not sure how to explain, but we can see various statues and figures based on temples worldwide.

Dadong Arts Center

• The art center tends to be empty if an event is not ongoing, but this art center has a library specialized in art.
• The colorful lights at night are also beautiful.

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts

• This arts center consists of multiple music halls and is famous for its organic architecture.
• The cave-like structure is so natural that I didn’t realize the engineering marvel that the ceiling was supported without a single pillar.
• This gorgeous art center is always open to the public even without a ticket. We can get inside the building and enjoy some exhibitions and shops inside.

Kaohsiung Public Library

• This library is especially beautiful at night with beautiful blue-colored pillars.
• They have a great English book collection about art and science. They even have art made out of books.
• For some reason, many buildings have rooftop gardens covered with grass.

Ai’He Cruise

• This cruise costs less than 5 dollars, but they even have a guided tour.
• The duration is roughly 30 minutes and goes by all the beautiful architecture around the Bay Area.
• It is recommended to go there at sunset time as the sky illuminates white buildings with blue and red colors. The dynamic lighting of buildings after the sun falls is also beautiful.

Central Park

• This giant park is filled with many artworks, but the first subway entrance is especially beautiful, with a garden covered by a giant white ceiling.
• Since it is located in the city center, there is a giant shopping mall illuminated with algorithmic patterns.

Shin Ku Chan

• The famous night market is located right next to Central Park. It is relatively small but has various stores.

Foods

• The sweet and smooth drink filled with wood ear mushrooms was unique and tasted healthy.
• Taiwan mangoes have a relatively round shape and didn’t look like typical mangoes from the outside at first. They were small but off-season; however, they were fleshy and fragrant.
• Pig blood jelly is common in Chinese cuisine and tastes like red tofu, which contains a little bit of iron powder.
• Pepper bun (胡椒餅) sounds spicy but is much more like a hard type of bun filled with meat.

Opinions

• Japanese temples tend to have no decoration on the walls as they have decayed over the centuries, and it was a bland new experience to see temples in color. Japanese temples are mostly conservative, but I thought combining the latest technology, such as illumination, interactive mechanics, and 3D theater, seemed to be an interesting idea.
• The public facilities in Taiwan are exceptional; not only are they beautiful, but they also have multiple functionalities, such as shopping malls and parks on top of their primary functions. Even though the cost of construction might be expensive, it can pay off if used by many people.
• China and Taiwan have many lakes surrounded by cultural heritage. I wonder if there are similar ones in Japan. I assume one reason is that Japan has so much rain, making living near a lake unnecessary.
• Religion is often connected with art and sometimes reflects vague concepts and beliefs behind it. The motifs extracted from them could be used to express specific emotions and extend beyond the religious context.
• The buildings here can be too luxurious considering the population, but they might be intended to be preserved just like temples.
• I like the pathways covered with buildings hanging above them, functioning as ceilings to avoid rain. I personally call it a half-building zone, and allowing people to use the premises partially can be better than using them as a whole.