Thousand Buddha Temple

Located in Guanmiao, Tainan, Thousand Buddha Temple is famous for the largest Sakyamuni statue and the first Diamond Sutra tower in Taiwan. The construction of the temple began in 1987 and wasn’t completed until twelve years later. A secret altar is hidden inside the lotus pedestal on which the giant Buddha sits, containing 999 other Buddha statues. Together with the giant Buddha on the mountain, there are a thousand of them in total, hence the name “Qianfoshan” (literally “thousand buddha mountain”).

Before Thousand Buddha Temple was put up, the site was once a cemetery. The locals came up with the idea of converting the spooky cemetery into a solemn Buddhist temple, featuring an architectural design which blends Chinese and Indian elements beautifully. The completion of this grand temple also revived its surrounding area and created a peaceful and prosperous neighborhood.