This place is sprawling, but kid of shallow as Buddhist monasteries go. The staff are incompetent, and the main viewing deck is not open outside of a Buddhist holidays, which is totally stupid.

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum are a very big place so you need time to explore the area. At the entrance you can find various vegetarian food outlets including starbucks coffee and on the second floor they provide buffet vegetarian lunch at NT 120 per head. After leaving the building you walk out to the courtyard you see a long foot path leading toward a magnificent Buddha sitting right in the centre at the end of the pathway. Beside the pathway you can see four pagodas on your left and four on your right. When you reach the end of the pathway you can visit various museums with different theme to educate the public about Buddhism. Take a lift up you will be rewarded with clear views of the city. I am heartening to notice that people of all races and religions visit this place whether for religious enlightenment or just a place for them to tour.

We headed to the outskirts of town to check out Taiwan’s largest Buddhist complex Fo Guang Shan Monastery and Buddha Museum. Getting there was easy enough with a direct bus from Zuoying Station. The complex is divided into the monastery part and the museum part and it is huge looking more like an attraction in mainland China. We started in the museum part which had a handful of elaborately decorated prayer areas along with several themed displays that almost gave it a themepark vibe. Visitors interested in the history of Buddhism can easily spend a full day just in this section. If the displays are not enough, an hourly 3-D film was also shown. Galleries on the second floor showcased some Buddhism related art. The staff to visitor ratio was quite high and the staff were very friendly and helpful.