Taiwan Travel: The Great Buddha at Fo Guang Shan Memorial Center, Kaohsiung
One bus stop away from Fo Guang Shan Monastery lies the Fo Guang Shan Memorial Center. This place is always crowded everyday with both local and foreign visitors. Most tour operators around the world will include Fo Guang Shan Memorial Center as one of the destination to go in the tour itinerary.
If you think Fo Guang Shan Memorial Center is gonna be like those old or ancient places, well, you are going to be surprised looking at the inside of the memorial center. It looks so modern it even has Starbucks inside the memorial center hall. There is also a vegetarian restaurant inside the hall.
There are a total of 8 pagodas located at the front complex with a giant bronze Buddha statue located at the end of the complex. It was raining that day and hence, we did not see anyone roaming around the complex.
Thankfully, there is a sheltered pathway leading to the Front Hall where the Big Buddha status is sitting on. When we were nearer to the Front Hall, the rain has cleared up so we were able to roam around the area in front of the hall.
There is no photography allowed inside the hall beneath the Big Buddha because it is a sacred place. Visitors are allowed to pray inside too.
Having spent a few hours here, I guess I did not regret coming to Fo Guang Shan at all, despite the pouring rain.