Chiayi｜A spiritual feast at the National Palace Museum Southern Branch: The Buddha’s image reveals the beauty of Asian Buddhism

There is a shuttle bus to the Southern Branch of the Palace Museum right after you exit the high-speed rail station, so transportation is quite convenient. Until we arrived at the venue, I was still thinking about how such an avant-garde building is completely different from the style of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Recently, the exhibition of great beauty without words has been promoted, but what really moved me was the Buddha's Image Exhibition. From its origin in India to its spread to various countries, over 1,700 years of development, Buddha statues and Buddhism have merged with local cultures to form different appearances. There are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Heavenly Kings, and Dharma Protectors appearing in different images. Originally, Buddha statues in India wore robes. After being introduced to China, as the Northern Wei Dynasty changed its clothing, Buddha statues began to wear Hanfu. Buddha statues in Japan and South Korea were also influenced by this. It took 171 lamas two years to copy the Longzang Sutra during the Qing Dynasty. This treasure from the Kangxi period is now kept in the South Courtyard. There are also treasure hunts for jade artifacts in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and an Asian textile exhibition. For those who love art and history, this is definitely worth a whole day of visiting. 📍Address: No. 888, Gugong Avenue, Taibao City, Chiayi County 612 🚗Transportation: Take the free shuttle bus from Exit 2 of the High Speed ​​Rail, or take bus 7212 from Chiayi Railway Station. #JanuaryGoodPlaces2025