Siangde Temple is a scenic spot that is surrounded by green mountains resembles 9 lotuses and thus it is named as Nine Lotus or Jiuhuashan in Taiwan. It is situated on a plateau across the Liwu River where vehicles cannot reach and hence this temple remains as a tranquility place. This temple has become part of the wonderful scenery spots in Taroko National Park of Taiwan, which is near to the Taroko village of Tiansheng overlooking Pudu Bridge. Here an amazing sight of a 12-meter tall giant statue of the Earth Store Bodhisattva rises above the surrounding greenery.




The nuns at the temple are friendly and most welcoming. This temple not only allows you to worship Buddha but also lets you look down over the Tiansiang terraces and lovely gorge scenery. Each year, many believers besides foreign visitors come from all over the places to worship Buddha or practice moral teachings here.

Haeinsa Temple - Korea

Haeinsa Temple is the most beautiful sacred spot in Gayasan National Park which was established by two monks, Sunung and Ijong during the early 9th century to devote the studies of the sutra.

Literally, "Haein" means a reflection on a calm sea which is a phrase derived from the Avatamsaka sutra.

The main highlight in this temple is its Tripitaka Koreana which is 81,258 wooden printing blocks carved during the Goryo Dynasty (AD 918 - 1392). These carvings have been well kept as the best Buddhist scriptures in the world. Besides that this temple has many images of Buddha like Manjusri and Samantabhadra. It accommodates many other artifacts found at Cheongyansa Temple and the Stone Pagoda at Wolgwang Temple in Korea.

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Angkor Wat is a huge pyramid temple built by the Khmer civilization between 1130 and 1150 A.D. at Angkor, Cambodia. It was built during the early year of the 12th century for King Suryavarman II (ruled 1113-1150 A.D.) in his state to honor the Hindu god Vishnu which is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology.

This temple is regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture as it is surrounded by a 655 feet wide moat and it is about 4 miles long. At the center of the temple, one can see a quincunx of towers.

Its five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats symbolizing range of mountains and the cosmic ocean. Its extensive bas-relief carvings and numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls represent the mankind's high quality and most amazing architecture achievement. Angkor Wat is particularly well-known for its stunning sculpted murals on its interior walls of the palace and mortuary. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that it is ranked among the foremost architectural wonders of the world as well as the largest religious monument in the world.

Shaolin Temple - China

Shaolin Temple (Shàolínsì) is a famous Chinese martial arts (or Wushu Chan) temple in China which is situated in Songshan Mountains, eight miles from Dengfeng and 50 miles away from the southwest of Zengzhou, the capital of Henan Province.

It was established during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534) in 495 A.D. Emperor Xiaowen, who was a believer of Buddhism decided to build this temple on Mt. Song to house Batuo (or Buddhabhadra), an Indian monk who came to Luoyang, the ancient capital in 464 A.D for spreading Buddhist teachings.

Another Indian monk, Damo (Bodhidharma, Bhadra or Fotuo) who was the creator of Chinese Zen came to Shaolin in 517 A.D. He was allegedly meditating in a cave for 9 years and was said to have written the famous "Yijinjing," the fundamental of Shaolin martial arts or Gongfu.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), this temple attained its glory moment by housing over 1,000 soldier monks who were used by the government to combat against the rebellions and Japanese bandits. Nevertheless, during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) the martial arts was strictly prohibited. Between 1644 and 1928, the Shaolin temple was severely burnt several times, with the largest fire set in 1928 by the army of Shi Yousan in order to demolish the buildings of Shaolin Temple. The fire also destroyed almost all the temple's classical literature and records.

One can see over 300 ancient stone inscriptions with some of them created by the famous calligraphers, Ming-dynasty mural of 500 arhats adorning The Thousand Buddha Hall, about 200m up the hill from the temple are 232 pagodas (or the forest of pagodas) which are tombs of Shaolin monks from the 9th to 19th centuries with each inscribed with the names of the monk and his disciples, Qing murals adorning the White Robe Hall depicting the Rescue of Emperor Tai Zong by 13 Monks which show typical kung-fu moves, and many noted relics at Shaolin Temple. Other structures that greet visitors to this temple include a Bell Tower, a Drum Tower, Mahavira Hall, Hall of the Heavenly Kings, Fangzhang Hall (resting place for the temple's abbots) and over 5000 Buddhist sutras are well-kept in the library of the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion.

The most interesting relics are the murals adorning the Eastern Hall which depict groups of boxing monks. With such unique features, Shaolin Temple is well known in China and in abroad.

Wat Rong Khun - Thailand

Wat Rong Khun is the famous and impressed Buddhist temple located in a northern province in Thailand of Pa O Don Chai Sub-District, Mueang District, Chaingrai. This temple is about 5km away from Chiangrai, 10km from the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai-Phayao Junction, 10km away from the Mae Suay Junction, 13km south of Chiang Rai City, or about 100m from the main superhighway to Chiangrai, Thailand. It was designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the famous national artist who has vowed to immerse himself deeply to serve the religion by constructing Wat Rong Khun since 1997 when he was 42 to the last day of his life to the temple.

His unique and majestic architecture and craftsman creations have been attracting large groups of foreign visitors visiting this temple. According to Thailand's tourist information, this temple had attracted over 1.8 million visitors, of which 140,000 were foreigners.

"Only death can stop my dream, but cannot stop my project," said Chalermchai Kositpipat, the creator of Wat Rong Khun in his book entitled "Sang Buddhasilp Puer Pandin" (Creating Buddhist arts for the Motherland) that his intention is to create the replica of magnificent and elegant temple as a heaven realm, an earthly paradise that humankind can experience.

Wat Rong Khun is a unique temple which is different from any other temples in Thailand as the Ubosot (consecrated assembly hall or chapel) has pure white color and white glittering mosaic glasses to enable it sparkles and shines throughout the day and night.

According to Chalermchai Kositpipat, the white color symbolises the Lord Buddha's purity while the white glass represents the Lord Buddha's wisdom that shines brightly all over the earth and the universe. This temple is a fine mixture of traditional Buddhist masterpiece and it is designed with small pieces of mirrored glass to add in a spacious and magical look particularly when it is viewed in the moonlight hours. The entrance to the main prayer hall has a disconcerting sea of hands, reaching out from the hell to beg for help. Inside this white temple are murals and paintings of the Buddha image and painted enamel ceramic floor.

While walking into the main chapel, you will be amazed by the statue of Lord Buddha, and this statue seems as though it is floating in the timelessness of space. There are 4 kinds of animals on its roof with the elephant represents earth, the dragon represents water, the swan's wings represent wind and the lion's chest represents fire. The bridge symbolises the crossing over from the cycle of rebirth to the Abode of Buddha while the small semicircle before the bridge symbolises the human world. The mouth of Rama or Rahu is represented by the big circle with fangs, meaning impurities in the mind and a symbolisation of hell or suffering as well.

Borobudur - Indonesia

Borobudur is regarded as one of the seven wonders and the largest and unusual Buddhist monument in the world.



It is located at Borobudur District, South of Magelang, and Central Jaya of Indonesia. It was constructed on a bedrock hill, 265meters (869 feet) above sea level out of an estimated 1,600,000 blocks of volcanic stones dredging from the river in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra who ruled in Central Java at that time. The inscription dated 842 A.D. suggested that Borobudur was one time a sacred place for praying. Evidence explains that Borobudur was abandoned following the decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Jaya and the Javanese conversion to Islam in the 14th century. It was then rediscovered by the British Governor of Java, Sir Thomas Raffles in 1814.

In 1968, the Indonesian government with the assistance of UNESCO launched a campaign of "Save Borobudur" to undertake restoration project to rebuilt Borobudur, and the major renovation of Borobudur was funded by UNESCO, who designated Borobudur as a World Heritage Site. Thereafter, in every May or June, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak Day at Borobudur in order to commemorate the birth, death, and the time when Siddhārtha Gautama attained the highest wisdom to become the Buddha Shakyamuni. Now, Borobudur is Indonesia's major tourist attraction spot with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.

Borobudur has an overall height of 42 meters, but its height is 34.5 meters after the restoration. It has a dimension of 123 x 123 meters or 15,129 square meters. Its nine-terraced temple symbolises the transition towards nirvana and is well-known for its 1,500 intricately carved reliefs.

This monument is facing eastward with 1460 panels (each with 2 meters in width) and is decorated with 2,670 bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative panels) and 504 Buddha statues (including the intact and damaged statues). The first floor up to the 6th floor is in square platforms, while the 7th to the 10th floor is in concentric circular platforms.

Borobudur has many Buddha statues. One can see 6 different postures of Buddha's statue from the bottom to the top representing "contact with earth," "giving and helping," "meditation," "no fear," "teach and learn" and "turn of wills." A main dome which is located at the center of the top platform is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.

The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, that sum up to 72 stupas. The cross-legged Buddha statues are seated in lotus position which is distributed on the Rupadhatu level (on the five square platforms) arranging in rows on the outer sides of the balustrades, and the Arupadhatu level (on the top platform).

The Temple of Heaven - China

The magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven literally means the Altar of Heaven (Tiāntán) is a complex of Taoist temple that was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for good harvests. It was constructed between 1406 and 1420 A.D. during the reign of Ming Dynasty, Yongle Emperor (1406 - 1420), who was also responsible for the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Originally, the temple was established as the Temple of Heaven and Earth, but it was expanded and renamed as Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1522 - 1567) in the 16th century, who built three prominent temples include Temple of Sun (ri tan), Temple of Earth (di tan) and Temple of Moon (yue tan) which can be found respectively in the east, north and west of Beijing. In the 18th century, during the reign of Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Emperor (1736 -1795) ordered to renovate this temple. In 1914, it was recorded that the President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shih-kai performed a Ming prayer ceremony at this temple as part of his effort to declare himself as Emperor of China. In 1961, it was listed by the State Council as "one of the key monuments under the state protection" as it is regarded as one of the most strictly protected and preserved cultural heritages of China. By 1998, this temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since the founding of New China, the government has allocated large amounts of money to protect the cultural monuments in the Temple of Heaven. Each year, about 12 million visitors visit this temple.

The Temple of Heaven is much bigger than the Forbidden City but smaller than the Summer Palace, occupying an area of about 2,700,000 square meters (667 acres) which is about 4 times bigger than the area of the Forbidden City. As the feudal Chinese emperors regarded themselves as "The Son of Heaven" with their roles as head of a feudal system with a mandate from the heaven and thus they dared not build their own dwelling in Forbidden City bigger than a dwelling in Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven is a worthwhile visiting place in Beijing as it was a grand masterpiece and magnificent architecture of the Chinese People in the ancient times, coupling with its long history, deep cultural properties and magnificent architectural style reflects the ancient culture of the Orient. The layout of the Temple of Heaven is in accordance with the numerology and principles dating back to pre-Confucian times; with its semicircular northern part wall symbolizes the heaven while the southern part is square symbolizes the earth. This layout of walls reflects the ancient Chinese concept of the cosmogony: The sky is round and the earth is square. The design of the northern part being higher than the southern part is due to the ancient Chinese religious belief that the heaven is higher than the earth. Similarly, the roofs of the important structures in this temple are all tiled in blue symbolizing the color of the heaven and sky. The symbolism was essential as it is served as the place where the emperor as the "Son of Heaven" dwelt in was directly beseeched Heaven to provide a bountiful harvest throughout the land. This was particularly of much importance as during the imperial period the base of China's wealth was agriculture.

The primary buildings in this temple are three-layer-terrace Circular Mount Altar (a place where the sacrificial rite was held on the winter solstice) with white marble in its south and the 38-meter-high Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests (a place where emperors prayed for favorable weather and ample harvests) with round roof and three layers of eaves in its north which are lined in the central axis of the whole temple and are connected by a 36-meter-long bridge.


Inside the hall are 28 huge posts with the four posts along the inner circle represent 4 seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter; the 12 posts along the middle circle represent the 12 months; and 12 posts along the outer circle represent 12 Shichen (one Shichen in the past equaled to 2 hours and a whole day was divided into 12 Shichen). Subsidiary buildings include Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Hall of Abstinence, the Long Corridor, Seven Meteoric Stones, a Beamless Hall, the Bell Tower, and relatively small halls.

Another unique feature for you to see is a Nine-Dragon Cypress which is branches resembles nine dragons wind with each other. It was told that the cypress was planted over 500 years ago.

Outside the gate of the Imperial Vault of Heaven is Three Echo Stones. Here, if you speak facing the Vault while standing on the first stone, you will hear one echo; standing on the second and the third stone, you will hear two and three echoes respectively. Other interesting place for you to visit is a round Echo Wall which encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven with 193 meter (633 feet) in its perimeter.

If you and your friend stand at the east and the west roots of the wall and you whisper a word, then your friend will hear what you said clearly even he is standing at the wall with a distance of 100 to 200 meters (328 -656 feet). The main hall in the temple was built to be a round pavilion with dark blue roof symbolizing heaven.

The East Assistant Hall worships the gods of stars including the sun, the Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, dipper and Saturn. The gods of natural phenomenon including wind, lightning, rain and thunder are placed in the West Assistance Hall of the Temple of Heaven.

Please proceed to second part of this article:

14 Most Amazing Temples in the World 2

Shwedagon Pagoda - Myanmar

The Shwedagon ("shwe" means gold and "Dagon" is the former name of Yangon) Pagoda is a 98-meter (322 feet) coned shaped giant, golden and glistering stupa which is situated in Yangon, Myanmar. Shwedagon, the "Mother of all pagodas in Myanmar" is the most well-known sacred Buddhist pagoda in Yangon which is also one of the main tourist destinations in Myanmar. This notable pagoda is located at No. 1, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Dagon Township in Yangon, Myanmar. Archaeologists believed that it was built between the 6th and 10th centuries or 2, 500 years ago by the Burmese King Binnya U of the Mon Dynasty. However, according to the records by Buddhist monks, it was built before the Lord Buddha died in 486 BC.

According to the legend of the pagoda, two trader brothers from Myanmar namely Tapussa and Bhallika led a caravan of bullock-carts to India and there they came across the Buddha who had recently attained His Enlightenment or Buddha hood. They received eight of the Buddha's hairs to be enshrined in the Shwedagon Pagoda. Relics of the four former Buddhas are enshrined within the pagoda. They are staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight hairs of Gautama, the historical Buddha. The myth has it said that when the golden container was opened to where the eight hairs of Buddha were kept, the rays emanated from the hairs rising up to the heaven and down to the hell, enabling the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.

The base of the Pagoda has a perimeter of 1,420 feet and its height is 326 feet above the platform. It has been estimated that about 8688 solid gold bars were used to plate its surrounding domes and the main stupa took 13513 solid gold bars. This pagoda has 4 entrances (mouk) that lead to the platform (yin byin) made on the top of the Singuthara Hill. A pair of mystical lions (chinthe) is located on its gates. The second Buddha statue, Konagamana stands on the top of the steps. The base of the stupa is made of bricks and covered with golden leaves. No one knows what is inside the base of the pagoda. According to the legendary tales, there are non-stop flying and turning swords to protect the pagoda from the intruders. Some local people say that there are underground tunnels lead to Bagan and Thailand.

The heavy gilded Shwedagon Pagoda has an octagonal base with eight smaller stupas on each eight sides, summing up a total of 64. At each corner of the platform, Manokthihas (sphinxes) are surrounded by a number of "chintes." The eight planetary posts at each cardinal point of the compass around the Shwedagon Pagoda are the symbolizations of the eight days of the week, each with its own animal and planet symbol. A gilded Buddha image made of alabaster is placed beside each planetary post.

The Golden Temple - India

The Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib or Sri Darbar Sahib) is the most significant shrine of the Sikhs and it is also one of the oldest Sikh gurudwara. It is located on a small island in the center of a pool called Amritsar (pool of ambrosial nectar), India. Its golden color is due to the overlay of gold foil, and hence it gets its name as a Golden Temple. The idea of establishing this temple was initiated by the 4th guru of the Sikhs, Guru Ram Das (1574 -1581) or more commonly known as "guru di nagri" which carries the meaning of city of the Sikh Guru. This temple was first established in 1601 and was rebuilt by the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1803. The 5th Nanak, Guru Arjan Sahib (1581 -1606) had conceived the idea of designing the architectural framework of the Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple is built on a 67 feet square platform in the center of the Sarovar (tank). There is a door in the East, West, North and South respectively, and the door flame of its arch is measured 10 feet in height and 8 feet 6 inches in breath. The architecture of the Golden Temple reflects a unique harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus and thus it is regarded as the best architectural specimens in the world. This architectural style has been used to create an independent Sikh school in the history of India. Unlike a traditional Hindu Temple where the devotees have to climb up to offer their salutations as the structure is built on higher level, Guru Arjan Sahib had it created on lower level than its surrounding ground so that it is accessible to every person to offer homage to this holy shrine irrespective of his or her caste (Kshatriya, Brahmin, Sudra or Vaisya), creed, gender, race, color and religion.

White Buildings of the Golden Temple

Sarowar is another interesting site to visit. It had been lined with bricks and steps had been built along its sides so that the devout could bathe in the immortal pool. It is interesting to learn that this three-storey-high temple is surrounded by the lake. The body of water is encompassed by a backdrop of bright-white buildings on all its four sides. The Golden Temple is crowned with a dome shaped like an inverted lotus. The two upper stories have gilded while its lower story is in white marble. The walls within its entrances are decorated with carved wooden panels and elaborate inlay work in gold and silver. The interior of the temple is decorated with semi precious stones, frescoes and glass works. The best time to visit this temple is in the early morning on weekdays before it gets crowded and visitors are asked to take off their shoes before entering the temple premises.

Another significance feature of the structure of the Golden temple is that it has four entrances to open to worshipers of all castes and creeds and this feature is quite different from most of the Hindu Temples that only have one gate. Other remarkable feature is the scripture of the Sikhs which highlights the importance of the unity of God and brotherhood of man. The scripture compiled by the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji consisting of 1,948 pages and more than 7,000 hymns.

Chion-in Temple - Japan

Chion-in (or Chionin) Temple is a large and well-known temple in Japan which is situated in the north of Maruyama Park and Yasaka-jinja Shrine in Kyoto's Higashiyama District, Japan. It is 8-minute-walk from Higashiyama Subway Station (Tozai Line) or 5-minute-walk from the front bus stop of Chion-in. Being the headquarter of the Jodo Shu (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism, Chion-in is one of the most important and popular sacred sites in Japan.

The Jodo sect was founded by Hōnen in the year of 1175, who proclaimed that sentient beings are reborn in Amida Buddha's Western Paradise (Pure Land) by reciting the nembutsu, Amida Buddha's name in devotion and faith. His simple teachings have attracted large numbers of followers among the commoners and have helped Jodo Buddhism become the most popular sect in Japan, ahead of the Jodo-shin and Shingon sects.

The temple was built in 1234 in the memory of his master and was named Chion-in. Several buildings in the complex were burnt in 1633 and the current buildings are reconstructions dated back from the 17th century under the reign of the 3rd Tokugawa Shogun Lemitsu (1604 - 1651). In October 2002, Chion-in Temple was used in the filming of Tom Cruise's movie entitled "The Last Samurai."

The entrance to Chion-in is through a 24-meter-tall two-storey Sanmon Gate (main gate) and later up a steep flight of stairs. It was the oldest structure built in 1619 and has been designated as a Japanese National Treasure.

Its ground is always crowded with people praying before a large brazier that holds small sticks of incense in front of the images of the main hall. The main Hall is big enough to accommodate 3,000 people and the corridor behind this gate leads to the Assembly Hall is called Uguisu-bari (nightingale floor or literally means "bush warbler floor boards").

This type of floor is constructed to "sing" at every footstep to alert the monks of the presence of intruders.

Chion-in Temple's copper bell is the largest and the heaviest in Japan with its weight of 74 tons. It needs 17 people to ring this bell. This bell is so special that particularly during the New Year's Eve ceremony in which the bell is struck 108 times by 17 monks, representing the 108 desires in the mind to be scared off before the New Year begins in Japan every year.

Another interesting feature to note is the roof beams are craved with the family crest of the Tokugawa family: Three hollyhock leaves. Chion-in Temple has a large and small guest houses built in 1641 in the Irimoya roof style called Ohojo and Kohojo which are designated as Important Cultural Heritages in Japan. Other Important Cultural Properties at the temple are buildings such as the Kyo-zo (storehouse for sculptures), Miei-do (hall enshrining the founder of the Jodo sect, Hōnen), Dai-shoro (room for the priest), Dai-shoro (large bell tower), Sho-hojo, Chokushi-mon (gate for Imperial messengers) and Kuri (kitchen and living quarters for the priests).

Kek Lok Si Temple - Malaysia

Over years, the historical heritage site of Kek Lok Si (Cantonese) Buddhist Temple, the Temple of Supreme Bliss (Penang Hokkien) or "Ji Le Si" (Mandarin) which means the temple of nirvana is one of the main attractions on the island of Penang, Malaysia.

This island was once the administrative center for the British East India Company during the colonial days. Kek Loh Si is not only the oldest, well-known and largest temples in Malaysia, but also one of the finest Buddhist temples in the Southeast Asia region.

It is situated at the hills of Ayer Hitam, or Crane Hill, which is a place recommended as a retreat for Taoist practitioners striving for immortality. At the hills of Ayer Hitam, visitors can view the panoramic scenery of Penang town.

The Kek Lok Si project was mooted by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. This project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Kuang Hsi with the collaboration of the consular representative of China in Penang. The Emperor Kuang His had then bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras. The construction of Kek Lok Si Temple was first established in 1893, but it was only in 1930, the Thai King, King Rama VI laid the foundation stone for this site and thus it is sometimes referred as Pagoda of Rama VI or the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas. This 30-meter-high and 7-storey pagoda is a mixture of Chinese octagonal base, Thai design at its middle tier, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. This work of ancient Burmese, Chinese and Thai craftsmen took more than 20 years to build. A 30.2-meter-high Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin or Avalokitesvara) statue was completed in 2002. This all bronze Goddess of Mercy statue is flanked by a few tall structures of Luohan (Guards) statues. Another Guanyin head and shoulder section was built atop an annexed temple roof.

Visitors are recommended to walk all the way up of 193 steps lining with many stalls selling all types of handicrafts, souvenirs and bric-a-brac on both sides of the steps to Kek Lok Si Temple. While catching breath with the blowing wind, you will see a tortoise liberation pond where you can buy some vegetables to feed. Another alternative is to drive up and park near the vegetarian restaurant to avoid walking up flight of stairs. However, you will miss many souvenir stalls lined up both sides of the stairs.

After you get passing all the souvenir stalls, you will reach Ban Po Thar, a seven tier tower with a merge structure of Burmese at the top, Thai in the middle and Chinese at the bottom. In another three-storey shrine, there is a large Thai Buddha image donated by the king of Thailand. Besides that there are also several halls with old and new Buddhas and engravings, bell towers and other typical temple structures to visit at Kek Lok Si Temple.

The temple is set against scenic surroundings of beauty and tranquility with some features of gardens, sculptures and shrines. A short tram is available to see the both new and old giant statues of the Goddess of Mercy. Each year, during the Chinese New Year, the entire Kek Lok Si temple will be decorated with many colorful lanterns and lights. At night, when all the lights lit up, it is a beautiful sight to be experienced.

Prambanan Temple - Indonesia

The Prambanan Temple is the biggest and most beautiful typical Hindu temple which is located at Bokoharjo Village, Prambanan, East of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is 20-minute away from Yogyakarta city or about 18km east of Yogyakarta. Locally, this temple is also known as the Loro Jongrang Temple, or the temple of the "Slender Virgin." It is believed to have been established in the middle of the 9th century by King Balitung Maha Sambu or Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, during the Sanjaya Dynasty.

This beautiful temple, in fact, it is a group of Hindu temples (candi), with the largest temple stretching 47m into the sky. The massive collection of Hindu temples was believed to build in the 10th century by the rulers of central Java and defeaters of the Sailendra Dynasty, Mataram Kingdom. Many temples were damaged due to the earthquake in Java in 2006, but it was opened for visitors in 2007. This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia region which has a characteristic of having pointed and typical Hindu temple architecture.

Many reliefs adorned the temple's walls depicting the famous epic of Ramayana. It possesses 8 shrines, of which 3 of them are dedicated to manifestations of Hindu Gods of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma. Siva is the biggest temple, the other smaller temples; on its right is Brahma and Vishnu is on its left. The main temple of Siva has a height of 130 feet and it contains 4 rooms with 4 statues inside, accommodating the magnificent statue of Shiva's consort, Durga.

In front of the Siva Temple is the temple of Nandi, the bull or a Siva's transport. The temple of Vishnu or the Protector has 4 arms and its front temple is the temple of the garuda (the mythical-like eagle). The temple of Brahma or the Creator has 4 heads and in front of Brahma's pad is the temple of the swan which is a Brahma's vehicle.

The Prambanan Temple has three concentric squares. They are outer square (222 x 390 meters), middle square (110 x 110 meters) and center square (34 x 34 meters) and these squares are surrounded by a one meter boundary wall with gates to connect to the other squares. No temples are found in the outer square, but there are 224 Perwara temples inside the middle square which are lined in 4 rows of temples. The first row contains 68 temples, followed by 60 temples in the second row, 52 temples in the third row and 44 temples in the fourth row. The temples are arranged in a manner that the lower lined outside and gradually getting higher and higher while approaching to its center. There are altogether 16 small and big temples inside the center square. There are also 50 stones of inscriptions written in white, black and red color at Prambanan Temple.

Mahabodhi Temple - India

Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is the holiest place associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhist religion. Bodh Gaya is located in the central part of the Bihar state in the north-eastern India near the river Niranjana or the Falgu, which is also a part of the greatest Ganges plains and is 13km away from the Gaya town, 450km west of Calcutta, and 90km south of Patna.

It was in the 3rd century B.C.; Emperor Asoka built a monastery and temple here. This temple is used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali) but now it is named as the Mahabodhi Temple (literally means "Great Awakening Temple") that is the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is then become an important Buddhist pilgrimage, a significant archaeological site and a vital study center which attracts many believers and tourists from all over the world every year coming to study Buddhism and the art of meditation, or to absorb the aura of solemn grandeur that surrounds Bodh Gaya. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mahabodhi Temple marks the spot where Buddha attained enlightenment and his life of preaching which is located adjacent to a descendent of the original Bodhi Tree.

It is marked by stone lotuses and has a 50m (170 feet) tower. The basement of the temple is 15m in length and in breadth with its height of 52m rising in the form of a slender pyramid until it reaches its neck which is cylindrical in shape. On top of the temple are Chatras which symbolize sovereignty of religion.

Four towers on its four corners rise gracefully giving a feel of holy structure. Inside the temple in the main sanctum, on an altar, there is a colossal image of Buddha in a sitting posture touching the ground by his right hand (bhumisparsha mudra), facing eastward at the place where Buddha immersed in meditation gazing east under the Bodhi Tree. This image is said to have a history of 1,700 years old. There are carvings on the stupas which aged 2,500 years ago depicting tales from Buddha's lives. Ratnagar is a place where the Buddha spend one week sitting there and according to the inscription it is believed that five colors came out from his body.

Chankaramana is another sacred spot of the Buddha and it is believed that wherever the Buddha put his feet the lotus flowers springing from his footsteps.

The 80-feet high Bodhi Tree (Pipal Tree Ficus Religiosa) and a pond is situated inside the temple complex where according to legends, Buddha had meditated here. The present 115-year old Bodhi Tree growing here is the 5th succession of the original tree which Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana by sitting under this tree.

It was recorded that the original Bodhi Tree's shoot was taken by a daughter of Ashoka, Bhikkhuni Sangamitta to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century, and the tree was then planted by the Lankan king, Devanampiyatissa at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura and this tree is said to flourish till today. This Bodhi Tree is also documented as the oldest and most venerated tree in the world. The red sandstone is said to be the Vajrasana, diamond throne or the seat of enlightenment, on which Buddha sat on while meditating under the Bodhi Tree. The platform beneath the tree has a stone carving of Buddha's footsteps where the devout make flower offerings.

There are quadrangular stone railing with a height of 0.2m around the Bodhi Tree and the Mahabodhi Temple. Lotus motifs are used among these ancient railings. The older set of railings were made of sandstone dated back to about 150 B.C. while the other set of railings were believed to make from course granite dated back to Gupta period (300 - 600 A.D.). The older set portrays a design of Lakshimi being bathed by elephants, Surya riding a chariot drawn by four horses, but figures of stupas, Garudas are found on the other set. A visit to the Bodh Gaya Archaeological Museum is a must for religious art enthusiasts as they can see gold, bronze and stone images of Buddha. Apart from that a large collection of Buddhist sculptures from 1st century B.C. to 11th century A.D. are well kept at one place here.

Another interesting spot to visit is a Jewel Walk or Chankramanar which was built as a low platform adorned with 19 lotuses lining parallel to the Mahabodhi Temple on its north side. It is believed that the Buddha was strolling here while he was in a deep thought during the second week after his supreme attainment. In this place a stupa called Animeschalochana was built which is situated to the north of the Chankramanar.

Since 1953, Bodh Gaya had an architectural amalgamation of many cultures as it had been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Most Buddhists came over from different countries to construct their representative architectural monasteries in Bodh Gaya. Thus, one will see a Thai temple which looks very much like a typical colorful Wat of Thailand, Tibetan temple and monastery houses the massive Dharma Chakra or the large prayer wheel, Burmese monastery, Japanese temple (Indosan Niponji) that has a very beautiful image of Buddha brought from Japan, and Tai Bodhi Khan monastery built by Buddhist tribes from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. There are also Vietnamese, Nepalese, Taiwanese, Sri Lankan, Bhutanese, Korean and Bangladeshi monasteries. Many shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship. There were also a large number of images of Buddha and the carved inscriptions showing that pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China and Myanmar had visited this place between 7th and 10th century A.D.

The City of 10,000 Buddhas - United States of America

The City of 10,000 Buddhas which is situated in Talmage, Mendocino Country, California is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the United States. It was established in 1976 and Master Hsuan-Hua is the founder of this city.

The city is noted particularly for its Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Tathagata Monastery, Joyous Giving House (convent), Instilling Virtue Elementary School and Developing Goodness Secondary School, International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts and the Center for East-West Medicine. Another noted feature is the Jeweled Hall of 10,000 Buddhas which was constructed in 1982.

This hall accommodates a 6-meter statue of a thousand-handed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Guan Yin). Its walls are adorned with 10,000 images of Buddha. There are also murals adorned the outside wall of Jeweled Hall of 10,000 Buddhas.

Other interesting features to note have been described in details in my article here.

It is present between Richmond and Kew in southwest London. It is the largest botanical research and educational institution with large income. It is the oldest historical garden in the UK. The size of the gardens increased over the years. The Temperate house present in it is the largest Victorian glasshouse in existence.

In 1987 Princess Diana opened the third major conservatory of Kew Gardens called the Princess of Wales conservatory. In the same it lost hundreds of trees in a hurricane. UNESCO had put the Kew Gardens on the list of World Heritage Sites in July 2003.

It has one of the most important seedbanks, and comprehensive collection of plants. It has largest botanical collections in the world with books, botanical illustrations, pictures etc.

An attractive structure in the Kew Gardens is the Great Pagoda, built in the time of William Chambers, in the year 1762. William Chambers was the director of Kew Gardens at that time. This Pagoda is design imitation of the Chinese Taa. It has Ten stories, each is an octagonal storey finished with a projecting roof.

Royal Botanical Gardens or Kew Gardens (usually referred to as) is a great attraction for visitors with many different sites and structures with pleasing plants in providing a green environment.