On October 25, HE Ying, the Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Christchurch, along with four consuls, visited Fo Guang Shan Christchurch to exchange ideas and visit the ongoing watercolour exhibition Blossoming Seasons by artist Hua- Wei Lai. They were warmly received by Venerable Juexi, the Minister-in-Charge of FGS Christchurch, along with Qian Cao, Deputy President of BLIA South Island and other BLIA members.
Venerable Juexi guided the guests on a Temple tour and introduced the architectural design concepts of the Temple. The visitors experienced the tranquil atmosphere of the art gallery and admired the refreshing landscapes of New Zealand depicted in the artworks by artist Hua-Wei Lai. Following that, the Venerable introduced several Venerables of FGS, including FGS NZ Abbess Manshin, who recently presented a paper at The Sixth World Buddhist Forum held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China through posters displayed in the Buddha Hall. Consul General HE Ying praised FGS Christchurch for being not only a Buddhist Temple but also a sanctuary for culture and art.
Venerable Juexi shared that the FGS Christchurch has a unique and rich artistic atmosphere, as evident from the Longmen Grottoes-inspired exterior and the four Great Bodhisattvas statues. The entire Temple is an example of modern minimalistic architecture featuring fair-faced concrete walls, sunset light effects in the time tunnel, and natural lighting in the Buddha Hall, fully reflecting the Buddhist ideals of purifying the heart and returning to nature. Over the years, during the Open Christchurch event organized by New Zealand’s Te Putehi Centre for Architecture and City Making, FGS Christchurch has been selected for three consecutive years as one of the most worth visiting buildings among over forty architectural sites in Christchurch.
Consul General HE Ying and her team thanked Venerable Juexi for the warm reception and in-depth explanations. She was full of praises for the Temple for playing an important role in community services. She expressed that if ever she comes across outstanding artworks, she will recommend them for display in the FGY Art Gallery, and she looks forward to future opportunities to jointly promote cultural and artistic activities with the Temple.