On 24th April 2019, led by staff Karen Wilson, 6 members of Hohepa Canterbury Association visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island, and were welcomed by Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island member Chang Chun Mui. The visitors toured the Buddha Hall, the ‘Liquidity of Motion’ Pour-painting Exhibition, the exterior of the Temple building, the Courtyard and many other interesting places in the Temple.
At the Buddha Hall, Juin Mei narrated the life story of Buddha and introduced to the visitors various features of the Hall. The visitors were full of praises for the solemn setting of the Hall and were totally immersed in its tranquil and peaceful ambience. While touring the ‘Liquidity of Motion’ Pour-painting Exhibition, the visitors were very much drawn to the beauty of the paintings and could not help but lingered on at the exhibition site. At the exterior of the Temple building, the entourage were enchanted by the statues of the four Bodhisattvas and praised the fine craftsmanship displayed by these art pieces.
Karen Wilson explained that, after the recent shooting incident in Christchurch, members of Hohepa Canterbury Association were emotionally disturbed and have grown to be restless, and because of this, she has decided to bring them to visit the places of worship such as Mosques, Churches and Buddhist Temples with the hope that these visits would restore peace and tranquillity in them. At the end of the visit, to express her warm wishes, Karen presented a painted stone created by herself as a gift to the Temple.