- Title: CHINA: Hong Kong Buddhists celebrate Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha's birthday
- Date: 9th May 2011
- Summary: VARIOUS OF GIRLS PERFORMING ACROBATICS VARIOUS OF MONKS PERFORMING SHAOLIN KUNGFU GUESTS WATCHING VARIOUS OF MONKS PERFORMING SHAOLIN KUNGFU
- Embargoed: 24th May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China, Hong Kong
- City:
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA5X47DDG6CXCX5FF2GO6XIMUZ0
- Story Text: Hundreds of worshippers attended the Buddha's birthday celebration on Sunday (May 8) at Po Lin Monastery, where the world's biggest bronze seated Buddha is located.
Worshippers bathed small Buddha statues, commemorating the birthday of Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha in 623 B.C.
It is believed that the bathing ceremony can purify people's mind and spread the philosophy of Buddhism.
Twenty-five-year-old pharmacist Amy Chu said she had been studying Buddhism since she was a child.
"The philosophy of Buddhism is that everyone should do good things from their hearts. It suits my personality and it taught me a lot," she said.
The annual festival also attracted Charlotte Rose, a 23- year-old tourist from England.
"I think it's a beautiful thing that people are doing, a great way to unify and unite people, and to create a great understanding certainly about Buddhism and what it is," she said.
The prestigious Venerable Chi Wai, head of the Po Lin Monastery, was joined by government officials in the bathing ceremony.
"In this Buddha birthday celebration, everyone wishes Hong Kong fortune and luck," he said.
Buddhists also enjoyed a sumptuous Chinese vegetarian meal in the monastery while different acrobatic and Shaolin Kungfu performances were staged.
Tian Tan Buddha, located next to the Po Lin Monastery, was completed in 1993, and is one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world.
The Buddha is 34 metres tall and weighs 250 metric tons. Visitors have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha, and it is one of the tourist attractions of Hong Kong.
Buddha's Birthday is marked by celebrations around the world in places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, South Korea, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. The date however is varying from different regions as different kinds of calendars are being used. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
