Bingling Temple Grottoes World Heritage Site reopens after Gansu quake
A file photo shows the central Buddha statue of the Bingling Temple Grottoes in Yongjing County, northwest China’s Gansu Province. /CFP The Bingling Temple Grottoes, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site situated in Yongjing County in northwest China’s Gansu Province,…
India. 2600-year-old Staircase to heaven
Sankisa Basantpur, Farrukhabad: After a four-hour drive from Lucknow, six-hour from Delhi — the last leg of which takes one though stretches barely as wide as one’s car, crisscrossing villages with population of 500 or less, lush green vegetation on…
India. Discovering the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya in Bihar
Bodh Gaya in Bihar is home to the sacred Mahabodhi Temple, which is an ancient marvel. This sacred site marks the very spot where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, transcending into the Buddha. Built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century,…
Ancient statues unearthed at Ta Prohm temple in Cambodia’s Angkor park
Archaeologists have unearthed six centuries-old sandstone statues at the Ta Prohm temple restoration site in northwest Cambodia’s Angkor archaeological park, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) said in a statement on Thursday. The ANA is the government agency responsible for managing,…
How to visit Japan’s shrines and temples—with respect
Over the centuries, the Indigenous Shinto religion and Buddhism, imported from India by way of China, gained prominence in Japan at different times. From the beginning, beliefs intermingled, creating what’s now called shinbutsu shugo. Then, from the end of the…
How world’s largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia has been reborn – new rules free Borobudur from curses of vandalism, graffiti, bottles of urine
I’m tiptoeing reverentially around the Candi Borobudur temple, stopping to take in ancient stone panels and beautiful bell-shaped stupas, and to ponder the Buddha statues sitting in meditative repose. As I peer into their closed stone eyes I find myself…
Dunhuang caves art exhibition kicks off in Taiwan island, strengthening the cross-Straits cultural exchanges
Dunhuang caves art exhibition kicks off in Taiwan island, strengthening the cross-Straits cultural exchanges Poster of the Dunhuang Caves Art Exhibition Photo: Courtesy of Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum The Dunhuang Caves Art Exhibition “Silk Road Splendor” opened to the…
Seeing historical artworks at the National Museum of Korea
I explored Korea’s vibrant history on Nov. 22 by going on a guided tour of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul with fellow Honorary Reporters. We gathered at the museum’s entrance at 7 p.m., ready to delve into the cultural tapestry within the facility’s…
Book Review: Red Tara: The Female Buddha of Power and Magnetism
On 29 November 2022, Snow Lion Publications, a part of Shambhala Publications, released Red Tara: The Female Buddha of Power and Magnetism by Rachael Stevens. In this gem of a book, the author takes us on a deeply personal journey…