2019 Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum International Book Fair and Vegetarian Expo

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Since 2005, Merit Times has organized the Vegetarian and Organic Food Expo to promote vegetarianism, which is an alternative healthy option and is also environmentally friendly as it helps reduce carbon emissions.
In 2014, the vegetarian expo was combined with the international book fair. The concept was to combine vegetarianism and reading. For the past two years, this combination has been well-received by the general public. In addition, Fo Guang Shan aims to promote reading in Taiwan, China and Japan with the use of the Cloud and Water Mobile Libraries.
This year, the Kaohsiung government collaborated with the Buddha Museum to host the Book Fair & Vege Expo. The event will showcase books catered to various ages, multicultural cuisines, and numerous activities including the National Reading Exposition and other outdoor activities.

Highlights

ANiMAL - National Palace Museum New Media and Art Exhibition

ANIMAL is a storytelling exhibition about the animal world seen through the lenses of Art, Science, Nature and Society. Animals are an elemental presence in our cognizance of the world; they occupy virtually all of earth's habitats and microhabitats, and they have been the subject of art since the earliest times of cave paintings. Insects, birds and mammals play compelling roles in literature and film, and they are the enduring protagonists in mythology and religion. The human population exploits a large number of animal species for food, while animal pets provide their owners with physical and emotional benefits. Zoological studies of the animal kingdom are already evident in the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, India and China, and the Graeco-Romans are credited with creating the modern science of biology.

date 2019/11/08－2020/04/19

time 09:00－18:00

Venue Main Hall Gallery 4

Formosa 3D video and AR Experience

Winning Creative Arts Award and titled chief 3D film director in Taiwan, Charlie Chu is also the founder of Formosa 3D movie van, which aimed to produce documental films about landscape and humanistic cultures of Taiwan, ideas of environmental education and life education within the past 10 years. Via rural tour project, kids in the rural areas are not only able to experience 3D movies, but also to resonate in their hearts with their motherland attached in mind by future generations.
In the book fair of this year, Formosa 3D movie van that has realized its rural project at more than 150 schools in rural areas in Taiwn will be invited to “station” at the Buddha Museum for the public to experience the 3D tour of Taiwan as an eye opener.
Through the power of 3D, the magic of visionary, it’s not only able to inspire kids’ creativity and perceptiveness in terms of advocating spirit and ideas of humanistic solicitude by the public, but also to enhance people’s literacy of beauty and art.
Director Charlie Chu has become a resident artist in the Buddha Museum since this June, meanwhile, the distilled version of Formosa 3D video is available to the public in his studio. Besides, in order to get in more touch with the stories of the beauty land without any boundaries, augmented reality turning static photos into dynamic ones has been implemented to make the films more vividly by simply a click on the smart phones or tablets.
In addition, during his lectures, he’s going to explain the reasons why he called himself a “Fool Director,” and the intention of producing the documentary. Hopefully, by showing his video, more concerns will be aroused on the cultures and landscapes, children’s conceptions on environment and humanistic culture, and the beauty of Taiwan.

date 2019/11/08 ─ 17

time 09:00－18:00

Venue Twin Pavilions 3F

date 2019/11/13 ─ 14

time 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00

Venue Rhinoceros Area

Buddha Museum AR on the Move

Buddha Museum utilizes the technology of augmented reality to allow visitors to learn the beauty and the humanistic ideas of Buddha Museum using handheld devices. You can download the AR app and watch the videos by scanning the relevant photos. This AR technology will bring you on a journey through the Museum's architecture, humanities, arts, and exhibitions using interactive multimedia.

date 2019/11/08 ─ 17

time 09:00－18:00

Venue Buddha Museum

Exhibitions

Finding the Dharma Through Time and Space

date 2019/08/08 ─ 11/17

time 09:00－18:00

Venue Main Hall Gallery 1

The Buddha Museum is holding "Finding the Dharma Through Time and Space - Exhibition of Buddhist Manuscripts" jointly with National Library, Nanjing Library and Yangzhou Shuangbo Museum for the first time. The exhibition includes Buddhist scriptures, rubbings, engravings, and prints to bring visitors on a historical journey from Buddhist scriptures, Dharma propagation, and Buddhist literature and art, to the Fo Guang Buddhist Canons of modern time.

The Light of Longmen Buddha

date 2019/08/18 ─ 11/24

time 09:00－18:00

Venue Main Hall Gallery 2

In August 2019, the Longmen Grottoes exhibition came to Taiwan for the first time. The exhibits date back to the Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, andTang dynasties, and include Buddhist images and steles from places including Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Gongyi, Fuyang, Xinxiang, Anyang, and Yucheng County. Visitors can get to see 34 items from the Henan Museum and 33 items from the Longmen Grottoes Academe at the Buddha Museum.

VEGETARIAN EXPO

Thousand People Tea Chan

In propagation of Chan art of Humanistic Buddhism, Huang Hui Yin, a talented new-age Buddhist song composer, producer and singer, will be invited to dedicate her performance in music under the atmosphere of carefree and tranquility. In the presence of Thousand-People Tea Chan, accompanied by compassion, wishes, and joy, let’s make tea, serve tea and enjoy tea together.
Via the concentration of tea making and serving, Chan is intuitionally integrated into tea ceremony that keeps us remain our awareness and experience life Chan anytime and anywhere within our daily cultivation.
During the noble silence of tea ceremony, the novice tea masters’ mental and physical comportments are well trained as cultivating themselves to feel the movements of six senses in terms of keeping their awareness for life.

date 2019/11/16

time 16:30－18:00

Venue Bodhi Wisdom Concourse

Thousand People Sutra Calligraphy & Tea Chan - Finding the Dharma Sutra Calligraphy

Sutra transcribing could be originated to contemplate one’s heart, and return the heart to where it should beong. In addition, it can help propagate dharma and develop affinities among people.
Diamond Sutra Solitaire: Each participant will transcribe a paragraph of the sutra and finally all the paragraphs will be collected and become a new “sutra,” which will be spread through the ages for better affinities.

date 2019/11/09－17

time 10:00－17:00

Venue Big Buddha Terrace / Bodhi Wisdom Concourse

Family

Story House Under the Big Tree

Visitors and students can enjoy a short story read out in English and hand-made activities. This story-reading session hopes to inculcate interest in reading and nurture wisdom through inspiring stories.

date 2019/11/09－15

time 08:40-09:30 Magic Show

time 09:30-11:30 Storytelling

time 13:00-14:00 Magic Show

Venue Rhinoceros Area

Cloud and Water Mobile Libraries

In order to foster talents through education, Cloud and Water Mobile Libraries were set up to nurture interests of general public, to encourage self-learning, and to make a positive change in life.
During the International Book Fair, all the 50 Cloud and Water Mobile Libraries across Taiwan will be driven back to the Buddha Museum for a grand display.

date 2019/11/08－17

Venue Great Path to Buddhahood

R.E.A.D.ing Life with Dogs

Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the Founding Master of Fo Guang Shan, has always emphasized the importance of education, especially for children. In and around the Buddha Museum, children are offered many opportunities to learn valuable life lessons. Along the corridors there are the Life Protection Murals, and in the parks one finds a variety of animals and plants. Children will thus gain a better understanding of life and develop respect toward nature.
This year, during the International Book Fair and Vegetarian Expo, the Buddha Museum collaborates with the National Ping Tung University of Science and Technology to promote “R.E.A.D.ing Life with Dogs.” R.E.A.D. stands for “reading education assistance dogs.” The R.E.A.D. program began in Salt Lake City, the United States and improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog.
On the 10th of November, children will be encouraged to read stories to dogs, provided by the University. As they are reading, the children enhance their concentration and articulation, whilst naturally developing affection for both reading and animals.

date 2019/11/10

time 10:00-15:00

Venue Four Givings Pagoda, Eightfold Path Pagoda

Book Fair

Selected Books of Humanistic Buddhism

Venerable Master Hsing Yun has authored more than 300 books, which were translated into more than 20 languages such as English, French, Spanish, Portugese, German, Korean, and Japanese. Through his books, you will find a close connection between Humanistic Buddhism and our daily lives. In the upcoming International Book Fair, we would like to recommend you the following books.

The Guiding Orchids

Masters of Reform and Innovation in the History of Buddhism─Venerable Tzu Jung

The Guiding Orchids offers a glimpse into the histories, lives and the experiences of Sakyamuni Buddha and other iconic Buddhist Masters of China. Each made significant contributions to the understanding of the Buddha, the Dharma, paving the way for the Sangha to practice with clarity and efficiency. To quote Venerable Tzu Jung, “The purpose of this book is to delve into the lives of eminent monks throughout history; their efforts to uplift Buddhism; revolutionize the doctrine; as well as strengthen and support society. It is my hope that their actions inspire Buddhists today, driving them to hold their own revolutions. For without revolutions, there can be no progress for Buddhism. Despite the many changes and crises it underwent throughout history, it remains unshaken.”

Pick it Up!: Chan Stories to Inspire

Author: Venerable Master Hsing Yun

'Pick it Up!' is an award winning collection of Chan (Zen) stories or gong' ans (koans) which are mostly dialogues between Chan masters and practitioners of Chan within Chinese Buddhism as well as Zen Masters from the Japanese tradition. They teach us that practicing Chan is not about escaping responsibilities of mundane life or just sitting in meditation; not just letting go of our attachments, but to pick it up when the need arises for compassion in helping others. This book won the 2018 Living Now Book Award Bronze Evergreen Medal for Spiritual Leadership.

Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha

Author: Venerable Master Hsing Yun; Translated by: Alex Wong

Drawn from ancient textual sources, the Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha is an intimate and imaginative retelling of the life of the founder of Buddhism. From the Buddha’s youth, to his renunciation, and decades of teaching, the Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha depicts the Buddha’s hardships, triumphs, and boundless compassion.
First published in 1955 and now in its tenth Chinese edition, this important early work of Venerable Master Hsing Yun is now fully available in English to reach a new and expanding audience.

Suggested Route

Walk through the booths from the Eightfold Path Pagoda → Visit the Cloud and Water Mobile Library (between Four Giving Pagodas & Twin Pavilions) → Formosa 3D video and AR Experience @ Twin Pavilions 3F → Walk through Jetavana Grove en route to Main Hall → See ANiMAL - National Palace Museum New Media and Art Exhibition @ Main Hall Gallery 4 → “Finding the Dharma Sutra Calligraphy” at Big Buddha Terrace (starts every hour) → Visit book fair booths

By Car

● Southbound: Nat’l Hwy1→ Nat’l Hwy 8(East bound) →Nat’l Hwy 3 (North bound) →Nat’l Hwy 10 (East bound) →Qishan/Dashu Interchange (turn right) →Provincial Hwy 21→Fo Guang Shan Monastery.

● Northbound: Nat’l →Nat’l Hwy 10 (East bound) →Qishan/Dashu Interchange (turn right) →Provincial Hwy 21→Fo Guang Shan Monastery.

By Public Transport

1 From the bus station in front of Kaohsiung Railway Station, take the direct Kaohsiung Bus 8010 (8010高雄客運) (12 NT)

2 From Zuoying High Speed Railway Station, take EdaBus 8501 (8501義大客運) (70 NT) Bus Schedule

3 From Fengshan Train Station, take Dashu Bus (大樹祈福線) (30 NT) Bus Schedule

4 From Zuoying High Speed Railway Station, take Harvard Express (哈佛快線) (70 NT / 50 NT on Tue and Thu). Check timings online Bus Schedule Route Map