Journey to Enlightenment

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is an awe-inspiring spiritual journey where you will find thousands of golden statues of Buddhist saints known as "Arhats" (羅漢) displaying various poses and facial expressions. To reach the monastery, you must climb about 400 steps, which takes roughly 20 minutes, while surrounded by these statues. According to Buddhist ideologies, the reason why Buddhist temples are always built high up on a mountain is because believers must go through a series of sufferings before they can reach Nirvana (enlightenment).

Historical Roots

Founded in 1933 by Reverend Yuen Kai (月溪法師) from China, the monastery is adorned in red and gold, symbolizing life's vibrancy and the light of Buddhism. It houses over 12,000 Buddhist statues within the main temple and a prominent 9-story pagoda, representing endless prosperity and good fortune. Side note – the pagoda is featured on the 1993 edition of the HSBC $100 banknote!

A Sacred Memorial

Yuen Kai (月溪法師) passed away in 1965 and was buried inside the temple. Eight months later, the fellow monks dug up his corpse and turned it into a statue that is now offered alongside Amitābha (阿彌陀佛), which is a perfect arrangement as certain schools of Buddhism believe that an enlightened monk could reach the Pura Land, where Amitābha is the principal Buddha. Many believe that Yuen Kai has gone to the Pure Land. You can find this temple by following "彌陀殿". The corpse is covered by a red cape, and it's important to be respectful if you decide to take a picture.

Offerings and Caution

Visitors can burn incense sticks for free by placing three in the urns at a time as offerings to the major gods, including Guan Yin (觀音) and the temple guardians. Donations can also be made in the categorized donation boxes scattered throughout the complex. It's up to you whether you want to contribute to the offerings of incense or fruits and flowers. However, be warned that no resident monks stay inside the monastery anymore, so the question arises as to whether we should treat this place as a temple or merely a tourist attraction.

If you encounter people in orange robes, don't be fooled into believing that they are real monks. Stay away if you are asked to make the offerings.