38320
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Its designation as a monastery is a misnomer because there are no monks residing at the complex, which is managed solely by laypersons. Both the main temple building, and the pagoda are listed as Grade III historic buildings by the Government of Hong Kong.
Groundbreaking and construction of the temple began in 1951 under Yuet Kai and his followers, and the structure was finished six years later. It closed for three years at the end of the 20th century after one of its caretakers was killed in a mudslide caused by poorly maintained slopes nearby. The main journey up to the monastery is an attraction itself, as the path is lined on both sides with golden Buddhas, each unique and in different poses. Despite the common translation of its name, the monastery contains nearly 13,000 Buddha statues.
The Monastery was founded in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai, who moved to Hong Kong from mainland China almost two decades before in 1933 to proselytize the teachings of Buddhism. The site previously housed a temple to Kwun Yam where a nun was killed during World War II. After the land was purchased by the owner of a local tobacco company, he consequently donated it to Yuet Kai for the purpose of establishing a Buddhist college. This, however, did not come to fruition and the Monastery was built in its stead. Yuet Kai and his followers carried out the building "by hand" and personally transported supplies from the base of the hill. This endeavour was funded through donations from the lay public; the construction of the Monastery was eventually completed in 1957, although the installation of Buddhist statues throughout the monastery complex continued into the new millennium.
Yuet Kai died in 1965, eight years after the Monastery first opened. An apocryphal story written by his followers claims that his body was found to be incorruptible eight months after his death, a result of the seated lotus position he was buried in. However, newspapers maintain that he was in fact embalmed; his intact body is exhibited in the main hall of the monastery.
Unlike an actual monastery, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery does not have any monks living on site; the complex is instead maintained by laypeople. After Yuet Kai's death, his nephews assumed the role of overseeing the maintenance of the building. It was at this time that the Monastery began to decline in popularity. This was partly owing to the disruption caused by the construction of the Sha Tin New Town during the 1970s. Renovations to the Monastery buildings have taken place since; the latest renovation was described by the Antiquities Advisory Board as having compromised the building's historic "authenticity".
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Thousand_Buddhas_Monastery
38320
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Its designation as a monastery is a misnomer because there are no monks residing at the complex, which is managed solely by laypersons. Both the main temple building, and the pagoda are listed as Grade III historic buildings by the Government of Hong Kong.
Groundbreaking and construction of the temple began in 1951 under Yuet Kai and his followers, and the structure was finished six years later. It closed for three years at the end of the 20th century after one of its caretakers was killed in a mudslide caused by poorly maintained slopes nearby. The main journey up to the monastery is an attraction itself, as the path is lined on both sides with golden Buddhas, each unique and in different poses. Despite the common translation of its name, the monastery contains nearly 13,000 Buddha statues.
The Monastery was founded in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai, who moved to Hong Kong from mainland China almost two decades before in 1933 to proselytize the teachings of Buddhism. The site previously housed a temple to Kwun Yam where a nun was killed during World War II. After the land was purchased by the owner of a local tobacco company, he consequently donated it to Yuet Kai for the purpose of establishing a Buddhist college. This, however, did not come to fruition and the Monastery was built in its stead. Yuet Kai and his followers carried out the building "by hand" and personally transported supplies from the base of the hill. This endeavour was funded through donations from the lay public; the construction of the Monastery was eventually completed in 1957, although the installation of Buddhist statues throughout the monastery complex continued into the new millennium.
Yuet Kai died in 1965, eight years after the Monastery first opened. An apocryphal story written by his followers claims that his body was found to be incorruptible eight months after his death, a result of the seated lotus position he was buried in. However, newspapers maintain that he was in fact embalmed; his intact body is exhibited in the main hall of the monastery.
Unlike an actual monastery, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery does not have any monks living on site; the complex is instead maintained by laypeople. After Yuet Kai's death, his nephews assumed the role of overseeing the maintenance of the building. It was at this time that the Monastery began to decline in popularity. This was partly owing to the disruption caused by the construction of the Sha Tin New Town during the 1970s. Renovations to the Monastery buildings have taken place since; the latest renovation was described by the Antiquities Advisory Board as having compromised the building's historic "authenticity".
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Thousand_Buddhas_Monastery