Fo Guang Shan Chung Tian Temple

AUSTRALIA, Queensland, Priestdale

Chung Tian means Middle Heven. This large-scale, modern Buddhist temple is built within Brisbane National Park, which is situated between Brisbane and Logan. It was established in 1989 by Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan, in response to requests from devotees.
The temple is built in a Chinese palace layout. The grounds occupy 32 ha, while the buildings take up 2 ha. The principal structures include the main temple gate, Bodhisattva Hall, meditation hall, Lotus Treasury World, library, museum, and the pagoda.
The five-bay wide Bodhisattva Hall is the main hall and has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Dragon heads and other mythical creatures decorate the ridge of the roof. The hall houses a statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The hexagonal, seven-story pagoda, known as the Heavenly Realm Pagoda, contains three halls on the first story. The central hall and the western hall represent the Western Pure Land and enshrine statues of Amitabha Buddha, while the eastern hall is dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The Chung Tian Chinese School was founded in 1992 to promote Chinese education. It is the largest Chinese school in the area. The temple’s cultural, educational and charity efforts, as well as the propagation of the Dharma, are highly recognized and supported by local government and other organizations, and have helped to make Buddhism the second largest religion in Australia.