Limited-time for Chinese New Year: A month-long fireworks show at the Buddha Memorial Center of Fo Guang Shan

Text and photos byPerfect Travel Notes

Where to go during the Spring Festival? Every year during the holidays, the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Kaohsiung not only hosts grand events but also puts on a dazzling multi-colored fireworks display every evening for several minutes. Celebrate the season with family by paying respects to the Buddha for peace and joining this annual “Illuminating the World” Fireworks and Lantern Parade Up！

This article is a review of photos taken in February 2015.In 2017, the Fo Guang Shan Spring Festival Peace Lantern Ceremony was held from January 28 to February 25 (every evening at 7 PM), celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the mountain—featuring the first-ever 3D light sculpture blessing event and lantern parade.

Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year, and the Perfect team braved the crowds and drove all the way to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Kaohsiung anyway！ The Kaohsiung Buddha Museum is also one of the popular pilgrimage destinations announced by the news during the holiday season. There must be something special going on to attract so many travelers. That’s right~~ In addition to various performances during the holiday, the highlight at the museum is the spectacular evening fireworks show. We’re sure many fellow travelers, just like the Perfect team, are eagerly looking forward to this grand performance this year！

Upon arriving at Fo Guang Shan, the most eye-catching sight is the 70-meter-long “Fo Guang Landmark.” The first thing the Perfect team blurted out was—this is the Fo Guang！ It was only after seeing this towering Fo Guang pagoda that we realized we had finally arrived！

Before entering the museum, don’t forget to check out the Fo Guang Museum map first～so you can get to your ideal fireworks viewing spot on time！ Get ready to enter the Hall of Reverence in the Buddha Museum Up！ As the Buddha Museum is a sacred place of Buddhist tranquility, please be mindful of your attire and behavior when entering. Such a solemn place naturally prohibits smoking and running around. Adults and children, please pay extra attention～

The saying goes, “The more crowded, the more prosperous during the New Year,” and that’s really fitting. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the entire Buddha Museum was packed with people. The Hall of Reverence offered a variety of both meat and vegetarian food options, as well as Starbucks and 7-11 stores—but most were crowded with people. There were also many Buddhist bead crafts for sale, but due to the sheer number of visitors, the Perfect team only stopped by the shops to grab some bread and drinks to stave off hunger for now～

After leaving the Hall of Reverence, we headed toward the Buddha’s Path of Enlightenment. The Perfect team spotted the distant “Shakyamuni Buddha” up ahead. What a vast Enlightenment Square！ After eating, we’re getting ready to pay our respects to the Buddha～

We joined other visitors on their tour toward the Buddha. Along the Buddha’s Path of Enlightenment are the famous Eight Pagodas of the Buddha Museum on both sides, and right in the center is the main hall of Shakyamuni Buddha. The view is truly magnificent. Along the way, the Perfect team happened upon a group of very devout worshippers. We didn’t want to disturb them, so we quickly moved along～

As a humble pilgrim and traveler, the Perfect team has conquered yet another religious sanctuary. On the Buddha’s Path of Enlightenment, we also took quite a few photos with the Buddha. We hope everything goes smoothly and peacefully for us this year Up～

While Kevin went to stake out a good spot for the fireworks show, the Perfect team went to explore the Main Hall on our own. However, the Main Hall is mainly for devotees to worship, and photography is restricted in certain areas. The Main Hall features three main worship halls—the Guanyin Hall, the Jade Buddha Hall, and the Golden Buddha Hall—all of which we visited to pray for blessings, hoping for happiness and peace for the whole family. We also climbed up to the Great Buddha of Fo Guang and got a close-up view of the “Shakyamuni” statue. He really does look incredibly benevolent～

It’s now just after 6 PM Up！ The organizers have started announcing that the crowd should start moving, because the best spot to watch the fireworks at the Buddha Museum is on the Buddha’s Path of Enlightenment！ Friends, the fireworks show is about to begin. Everyone take your positions. The organizers are very thoughtful—they even displayed the current time at the front. Let’s all countdown together with the organizers: 5~4~3~2~1, and the fireworks are launched～

After the countdown, the fireworks began bursting one after another, accompanied by soft music that blended beautifully with the displays. At this moment, visitors on the Buddha’s Path of Enlightenment were all taking out their phones and cameras, hoping to capture these memories. It was truly beautiful. The Perfect team and Kevin couldn’t stop marveling at the wonder before us. Not only did we have an ocean of colorful fireworks before our eyes, but also a sea of people. As the fireworks lit up the sky, the organizers also began praying for the wellbeing of the crowd.

In the new year, may our lives shine as brilliantly as fireworks, and may the Buddha bring peace and happiness to everyone. Although the fireworks lasted only a brief seven minutes, they were illuminated under the grace of the Great Buddha of Fo Guang, filling the Perfect team with a sense of inner peace and calm. When we got home and looked at the beautiful photos of the fireworks in front of the Buddha again, we relived the moment all over again. Not only that, the Perfect team also recorded video back then. Photos alone aren’t enough—come enjoy the amazing live fireworks show at the Buddha Museum～

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center
Location: No. 1, Tongling Road, Tongling Village, Dashu District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-6565165
Worship Hours: Weekdays 9:00–19:00, Holidays 9:00–20:00

2017 Fo Guang Shan Fireworks Event Times: January 28 to February 25, 7:00 PM each evening.

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