Visiting Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum | Guide, Photos + My Experience (2025)

I had 4 hours to see Taiwan’s largest monastery. Was it easy? No! Did I kick myself for only allocating 4 hours? Absolutely. By the time I reached the towering pagodas, I was already doing mental math on whether I could catch a later bus back to Kaohsiung.

If you’re planning to add Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum to your Kaohsiung itinerary then keep reading for all the up-to-date info to ensure you don’t make the same time planning disaster as me.

Fo Guang Shan Monastery Kaohsiung receives over 10 million visitors annually, making it Taiwan’s second most visited attraction after the National Palace Museum. However, this is not just a tourist attraction. It’s a sprawling complex that consists of a monastery, university, museum, art gallery, many statues, restaurants, and I kid you not, a Starbucks.

This Buddhist city is fascinating. One minute you’re stumbling upon monks peacefully gardening, the next you’re walking a path lined with 1,000 golden Buddhas wondering how on earth this place even exists.

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Buddhism in Taiwan

Before we get into the monastery it might help to have some background on Buddhism in Taiwan.

Fo Guang Shan is a Humanistic Buddhism. Think of “Humanistic Buddhism” as Buddhism 2.0, instead of monks retreating to mountains, it encourages people to find enlightenment through everyday life like raising kids, working jobs, and helping neighbours. This philosophy sparked what locals call the “Four Great Mountains” – basically Taiwan’s Buddhist heavyweight division organized by geography. Fo Guang Shan holds down the south, while Dharma Drum Mountain (north), Tzu Chi Foundation (east), and Chung Tai Shan (west) compete for Taiwan’s 5+ million Buddhist followers.

Each organization took different approaches to modernizing ancient teachings. Tzu Chi became Taiwan’s largest charity focusing on disaster relief, Dharma Drum emphasized traditional meditation and scholarship, while Chung Tai Shan blended old-school temple architecture with corporate efficiency. Fo Guang Shan went the most international route, building a global empire of temples and universities.

This competition isn’t just friendly rivalry, each promotes different solutions to modern problems like inequality and environmental crisis. Traditional Buddhists aren’t thrilled about this commercialization, criticizing these organizations for accumulating wealth and political influence that seems more corporate than contemplative.

Fo Guang Shan Background

Fo Guang Shan dates back to 1949 when Communist forces won China’s civil war, a 22-year-old monk named Hsing Yun fled to Taiwan with nothing but his robes, initially facing arrest and suspicion as a mainland refugee. Local Taiwanese Buddhists weren’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat, they practiced a folk Buddhism mixed with ancestor worship and saw mainland monks as pushy outsiders trying to tell them how to do religion “properly.”

But Hsing Yun was persistent. For nearly two decades, he criss-crossed Taiwan’s countryside like a Buddhist traveling salesman, setting up schools, organizing youth groups, and giving free lectures to anyone who’d listen. His pitch? Buddhism shouldn’t be about hiding in mountain caves, it should help you deal with your actual life: your job stress, family drama, and paying the bills. This was considered revolutionary stuff for the 1960s. By 1966, he’d saved enough donations to buy 30 hectares of bamboo forest that would become his religious headquarters.

Fast-forward to today, and Fo Guang Shan has become what critics call “Department Store Buddhism”, a sprawling religious corporation. We’re talking over 1 million global followers, universities charging international tuition, media companies, and temple complexes that double as tourist attractions.

The numbers are staggering: the Buddha Museum alone cost over $100 million, and their worldwide investments are said to top $1 billion.

Donors who contribute over $3,000 get their names on plaques like corporate sponsors. Taiwan’s tax authorities actually track these big donations, and dozens of people drop over $30,000 annually to fund new temple construction. However, remember they also spend $50+ million yearly on disaster relief, medical clinics, and free education programs. It’s a complex part spiritual mission, part global business empire.

Fo Guang Shan Monastery Essentials

How To Get To Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

Fo Guang Shan is located 20 kilometres from Kaohsiung. The most direct way to get here is to take the 8010 or 8011 shuttle bus from this stop at Jianguo Station which is a 5 minute walk from Kaohsiung station. This will take you directly to Fo Guang Shan, and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Alternatively, for a faster, albeit less direct route, you can take the red line to Zuoying Station and transfer to the E02 Hafo Express. The bus only has 4 stops and the total journey duration is 50 minutes.

Both options can be paid with your EasyCard (a must have when using public transport in Taiwan).

If you’re tight on time, there are half day and full day tours to Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum. These also include other attractions along with a private guide.

It’s worth noting that as we were leaving there were massive queues for the bus back to Kaohsiung city. You need to queue so if you want a seat for the long journey then give yourself plenty of time. Secondly, a taxi driver told us the bus was cancelled and we should go with him. It wasn’t, he was just chancing his luck.

Entrance Fee

Entrance into Fo Guang Shan is completely free. You can make a donation in person or through their website. There are also guided tours that can take you to other Kaohsiung attractions.

Opening Hours

The monastery operates 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily, while the Buddha Museum runs 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM weekdays (to 7:00 PM Main Hall) and 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM weekends (to 8:00 PM Main Hall).

The Buddha Museum closes Tuesdays except special dates. The website states the special dates.

There are also daily 5:30 AM chanting sessions that welcome visitors. The chants emphasise gratitude toward Buddha, country, parents, and all living beings. Other regular ceremonies include Amitabha Buddha services, Medicine Buddha healing rituals, and the spectacular Peaceful Lantern Festival that draws thousands of participants.

What To See At Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum – Front Hall

This is the first thing you’ll see as you enter Fo Guang Shan. It’s very modern with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.

There’s even an all vegetarian Starbucks, which I was not expecting, you can buy Fo Guang Shan Monastery themed mugs. I found this pretty jarring as one of the first place you stumble upon in the complex. It felt a bit too commercial for a buddha complex. It left me questioning whether this whole trip was going to feel more like a theme park than a spiritual site.

I recommend Hi Lai Café for bubble tea, the perfect companion to cool you down as you explore the next part of Fo Guang Shan.

But then we left the commercial front hall (bubble tea in hand, yes, I bought into it) and were immediately hit with the sheer magnitude and grandeur of the main complex. Any doubts about commercialization? Gone. Any concerns about this being a tourist trap? Completely forgotten.

Main Walkway + Eight Pagodas

The 240 meter walkway is called the “Way to Buddhahood“. This path is flanked by four 38 meter tall pagodas on each side. It is one of those places that just doesn’t look real in person. It’s like nowhere else I have ever been and I was taken aback by its scale, it’s much bigger than how it appears in photos.

We visited on a Tuesday, and it was very quiet. This added to the magnitude of the place, all these large structures with virtually no one around.

You cannot climb the pagodas, but there are lots of other viewpoints throughout Fo Guang Shan Monastery. Each of the four pagodas represent different Buddhist teachings:

• One Teaching (Buddha’s enlightenment)
• Two Assemblies (monastic and lay communities),
• Three Goodnesses (do good deeds, speak good words, think good thoughts)
• Four Givings (give others faith, joy, hope, and convenience)
• Five Harmonies (physical, verbal, mental, precept, and view harmony)
• Six Perfections (generosity, ethics, patience, effort, concentration, wisdom),
• Seven Admonishments (against various negative behaviours)
• Eightfold Path (Buddhism’s core practice framework)

Each pagoda contains exhibition spaces, libraries, meditation rooms, and educational facilities. You can spend hours exploring interactive displays about Buddhist history and practice across different countries. It’s presented in a way that non-Buddhists can easily digest without any prior knowledge.

Main Hall (Great Hero Hall)

The massive Great Hero Hall, is the building that the Great Buddha sits on. This three storey domed building has the capacity for 1,000 people and also features 14,800 smaller Buddha statues in wall grooves.

Inside, three 7.8 meter Buddha statues (Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha) preside over 14,800 smaller Sakyamuni Buddha statues which are built into the walls throughout the hall. Each small statue was individually donated and crafted.

The main hall also houses the sacred Buddha tooth relic in the specially designed Jade Buddha Shrine. The tooth relic, originally from Tibet and gifted to Taiwan through complex international Buddhist diplomatic negotiations, represents direct physical connection to the historical Buddha who lived 2,500 years ago. Surrounding the shrine are golden Buddha statues donated by Thailand’s royal family.

The hall’s foundation also incorporates sacred stones from India’s Diamond Throne (Vajrasana) where historical Buddha achieved enlightenment.

No photos are allowed of the shrines and you must remove your shoes. Taking my shoes off at the entrance, I immediately thanked myself for wearing Birkenstocks as throughout the day I was required to do this again, and again. On the plus side, the floor was surprisingly cool, which was nice after walking in the heat

Big Buddha Terrace

The main halls rooftop is the location of the next “wow” moment of the day. Here an 108-meter Big Buddha statue sits. This Buddha holds multiple world records including the tallest bronze sitting Buddha globally and largest seated Buddha statue in Taiwan.

It weighs 1,800 tons of bronze and steel, the statue required innovative engineering to anchor safely in Taiwan’s earthquake-prone environment. The 108-meter height represents the 108 defilements humans must overcome to reach enlightenment, making the statue’s impressive scale carry spiritual rather than merely aesthetic significance.

Hidden within the statue’s structure are one million handwritten Heart Sutras contributed by worshippers worldwide. Visitors can climb internal staircases to viewing levels within the statue’s lotus base, offering views across southern Taiwan.

Great Buddha Land

Another must visit area in Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is the Ksitigarbha Shrine. This is dedicated to the bodhisattva who vows to save all beings from suffering.

Sitting on the terrace is the 36-meter Amitabha Buddha statue which was completed in 1975. It was Southeast Asia’s tallest standing Buddha at the time and symbolises Taiwan’s growing confidence and prosperity.

Surrounded by over 1,000 individually crafted statues representing different manifestations of compassion. The walking paths between statues are designed for contemplative movement meditation, allowing visitors to experience Buddhist teachings through physical engagement rather than purely intellectual study.

For me, this was my favourite area of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. The walkway was peaceful. I found myself moving slower, breathing deeper, exactly what I’d hoped for but wasn’t sure I’d find. Once you got to the top you are treated to sprawling views of Southern Taiwan.

Art Museum

One of the most overlooked yet impressive features of Fo Guang Shan Monastery is its art gallery which seamlessly integrates Buddhist philosophy with contemporary artistic expression.

The main gallery, located directly behind the Great Hero Hall, covers 2,000 square meters and houses rotating exhibitions that change every 2-3 months, ensuring fresh experiences for repeat visitors.

Each exhibition space includes meditation areas where visitors can sit quietly with artwork, experiencing what the organisation calls “aesthetic meditation” which is using visual beauty as a pathway to spiritual reflection.

Recent highlights include collaborations with Beijing’s Palace Museum showcasing Ming and Qing dynasty Buddhist art, partnerships with the Shanghai Museum displaying ancient Buddhist sculptures, and the “Silk Road Splendor” exhibition featuring rare Dunhuang cave art replicas.

Vulture Peak

Also known as Holy Eagle Peak, Vulture Peak is located at the “Non Duality Gate.” Here, a landscaped garden with many bodhi trees contains 500 white marble arhats. It is supposed to invoke feelings of being present at the Dharma talk by the Buddha on Vulture Peak.

Pure Cave Land

The Pure Land Cave, was carved into hillside slopes between 1972-1981. Covering 5,100 square meters of underground and hillside tunnels, it depicts elaborate scenes from the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss based on ancient Buddhist sutras.

Traditional Pure Land Buddhism teaches that devoted practitioners will be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s paradise after death, but this concept requires significant theological background to understand. The cave attempts to provide literal visual representations of paradise descriptions found in classical sutras, though the 1970s execution may seem dated to today’s visitors expecting modern museum quality presentations.

Underground Chambers

Perhaps the most intriguing area of Fo Guang Shan are the 48 underground palaces designed as time capsules. Each palace will be opened once every 100 years to add contemporary artifacts representing that era’s achievements, challenges, and cultural characteristics, then resealed for future generations to discover. There is even a countdown clock stating when it will next be opened.

Currently closed to the public, these underground chambers represent Buddhism’s uniquely long-term perspective on preserving wisdom and knowledge across centuries.

Staying Overnight At Fo Guang Shan Monastery

I didn’t stay overnight, but for those interested you can book a nights stay in the Pilgrims Lodge. To book you must email [email protected] or call +886 7 656 1921 (#5555).

The rooms are known to be old and simple, however the monastery at night is said to be stunning, and even more peaceful. You can also awake early and join in on the 5:30 AM chants.

Fo Guang Shan Restaurants

All restaurants in Fo Guang Shan Monastery are vegetarian. This is due to the Buddhist belief of non-violence which encourages compassion for all living beings.

Among the many restaurants are a number of Waterdrop Teahouses which are a recognised chain across Taiwan.

So, Is It Actually Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, but give yourself more time than I did. We completely underestimated both the vastness and how genuinely fascinating this place would be. I expected something like the Lotus Pond pagodas: aesthetically cool but surface-level. Instead, we found layers of history, art, and philosophy.

Yes, the Starbucks in the front hall initially felt jarringly commercial, and I’ll admit I was skeptical walking in. But as I moved deeper into the complex, my cynicism faded. The meditative atmosphere is inescapable once you reach the main grounds. Maybe this blend of accessibility and spirituality is exactly what modern Buddhism needs to be, the sacred and everyday coexisting.

This isn’t your typical Chinese temple experience. Instead of fortune-telling and incense vendors, you’ll find museum-quality exhibitions and professional cultural programming that actually teaches you something. The history is fascinating, the art is world-class, and despite 10 million annual visitors, moments of genuine peace are surprisingly easy to find.

I can’t say the tranquillity I felt there stayed with me long after leaving, but for an afternoon, it was a wonderful experience. Just don’t make my mistake, block out a full day, or you’ll spend half your visit doing mental math about catching the last bus home.

Fo Guang Shan Monastery FAQ

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