************************************** Chung Tai Chan Temple Phone tel: tel: Transport taxi Email ctworld@ms16.hinet.net Web www.chungtai.org Keyword religious/spiritual, religious/spiritual
Completed in 2001, the massive Chung Tai Chan Temple is more than just another modern temple - it is an international centre of Buddhist academic research, culture and the arts.
The temple is 150m tall and sits on a 60-acre lotus hill outside Puli. It took 10 years and the donations of countless members of the Chung Tai Chan Buddhist community to complete. Chung Tai Chan is an international branch of Buddhism founded by the Venerable Master Wei Chueh - the Master who is said to have revived the Zen tradition in Taiwan.
From the start, the Master was determined to build something grand, something that would appeal to the modern eye as much as the soul. To achieve this, modern technology was embraced rather than shunned. Only top-quality materials and artists, both Taiwanese and foreign, were used during construction. One master craftsman is said to have spent 10 years collecting coloured jade for the delightful 18 Lohan reliefs. Marble from 15 different countries was imported and pure teak used for the seven-storey indoor pagoda. Interestingly, the pagoda was built the old way without metal nails or screws.
Beyond the skilled artwork and engineering, however, the temple exists for those who have an interest, curiosity or passion for Buddhism. Several Westerners live in the temple and teach English to the nuns and monks. It is the responsibility of several of these nuns to give guided tours to any and all visitors.
Unlike some temples, where the emphasis of the tour is on teaching you purely about the religious and ritual aspects of Buddhism, at Chung Tai Chan you can take an historical or cultural tour if that is your interest. In other words, the nuns will help you to understand the statues, motifs and iconography as well as the art and engineering feats of the temple, as if you were in a museum. They will explain the 22 physical markings of the Buddha, why one holds a medicine ball in his hand while another holds a lotus, and why one sits on a white elephant with six tusks and another is so fat.