A group of 13 students from the Vision School in Christchurch, led by the course coordinator, Rosi Alcolea, visited Fo Guang Shan Christchurch on 21 February 2023 and warmly welcomed by Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) members. Upon their arrival, members welcoming them with the lotus gesture and introduced the current exhibition, Tang Wenjun’s Indigo Dyeing Exhibition in the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch. The exhibition featuring the artist’s use of pure indigo blue colors, which greatly impressed the visitors. They admired the traditional handicraft skills and bold innovations of the artist, and were deeply moved by the 20-meter-long art piece Heart of the Ocean and several other 3D artworks on display.
Moreover, the visitors were deeply impressed by the lighting design of the Buddha Hall and showed great interest in the story of the Buddha and Buddhism. They also appreciated and enjoyed the sutras transcription. However, when they learned the passing of the Venerable Master Hsing Yun, they felt a deep sense of loss for the community.
The Temple staff presented the visitors with bookmarks containing the Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s teachings. The visitors were delighted with their tour experience. Rosi thanked the BLIA members for their enthusiastic guidance on behalf of the students. The visit was an unforgettable experience for them, and Rosi was amazed by the combination of faith, art, and nature in the construction of FGS Christchurch. She said that they would definitely visit again in the future.