Bronkhorstspruit – Incense smoke wafts through the air, statues of Buddahs and breathtaking eastern art take your breath away, and coupled with an ambience of peace and tranquillity you would never think you are on the outskirts of Tshwane.
As you enter the Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit you are transported to another world.
Acknowledged as the largest Buddhist temple in Africa covering over 2.4km2, a visit to the temple is an aesthetic and spiritual treat. The scale of the front gates, the buildings and the steps to the temple are impressive. Bright reds and orange dominate the carefully crafted architecture and detailed finishing touches.
The elaborate architecture and large statues of Buddha are reminiscent of those seen in temples overseas and unexpected in the farmlands of Bronkhorstspruit.
The temple is proud that 95 percent of the construction materials come from local sources in South Africa, including the Chinese style concrete castings of the first floor balcony handrail, which were made in Pretoria.
The red wooden furniture, glazed clay roof tiles and ornaments were imported from Taiwan and Taiwanese artists executed the wall paintings on site.
The granite, stone, red clay and bronze ornaments, including the large bronze bell, came from China.
Last weekend the temple played host to the Chinese New Year celebrations and thousands of locals and visitors got first-hand experience of Chinese culture and heritage, including native cuisine and dance.
As with anything in the world, to truly understand and appreciate its worth, it is imperative to start at the beginning.
In 1992, the Bronkhorstspruit City Council donated land to the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order to be developed into a Chinese Buddhist, Cultural, and Educational Complex.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun sent one of his long-time disciples Venerable Master Hui Li to build the Nan Hua Temple to attain these goals and promote Buddhism on the African continent.
Since then, the Nan Hua Temple guest house, African Buddhist Seminary (ABS), Nan Hua Village, assembly hall, and Zen Retreat Centre have been completed and are continuously being upgraded.
Fo Guang Shan means “Buddha’s Light Mountain” and refers to a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order founded in Taiwan in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Shan, who was born in 1927 in Chiangtu, China, studied at many Buddhist monastatic colleges and is highly renowned and respected for his works and as the founder of the temple.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun had a dream to build a temple in Africa, a temple and guest house that would attract tourists and other business ventures.
After a meeting in 1991 planning started, designs were put on to paper and fund-raising began and the dream started becoming a reality. Construction began in October 1992.
In 2005, Venerable Shin Pei, Chief Abbot of the Fo Guang shan Order, presided over the official opening of the main Shrine. More than 1 500 followers locally and from overseas attended the ceremony and witnessed a new era of Mahayana Buddhism taking root in Africa.
There are 10 monks living on the premises and two students.
The order follows a humanistic approach, which means that the village actively promotes Buddhism through education, culture, charity and purifying human hearts and minds through practice. They have a strong global perspective and have over 16 Buddhist colleges and 190 branch temples across the globe, three universities and numerous schools.
The temple has a special meditation hall and offers various courses including meditation for beginners. So if the hustle and bustle of the capital is getting to you take time out and retreat to the temple.
Temple facilities
The temple also has an appealing museum to revive and promote Buddhist culture and history. The museum exhibits a variety of Chinese cultural arts and Buddhist artifacts which are changed on a regular basis. No photography is allowed in the museum.
And for those who love souvenirs there is a curio shop which provides all kinds of different Buddhist items, including Buddhist statues, prayer beads and some Chinese music CDs.
The dining hall is open to the public from noon to 12.45pm every Sunday and public holidays.
It provides a variety of healthy vegetarian food based on traditional and modern recipes. Silence is expected in the dining hall.
The coffee shop is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Note to visitors
* Picnics, smoking and alcohol are not permitted.
* Meat products are not permitted on the temple site.
* No pets allowed.
* Revealing clothing like tank tops are prohibited in the temple.
Pretoria News Weekend