Bagua Shan: The Big Buddha

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The mountain which dominates Changhua county, located in Central Taiwan, is called Mount Bagua (in Chinese: Bagua Shan) and represents a ridge with an north-south extent of around 20 kilometres, whose undoubtedly most impressive part is the Big Buddha statue situated in Changhua city:

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This statue, which is around 30 ft. high, impresses the beholder because it appears to be even higher than it actually is. The Buddha's calm face and his peaceful posture give an impression of tranquility to everyone, inclusive of Christian believers. With the two auspicious animals placed at the Buddha's two sides and which are placed at the entrance to any temple, the whole site can be considered as an "open air" temple:

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With the Buddha placed in front of the actual temple, Bagua Shan forms a complex religious entity which the sensitive visitor can feel. The actual temple is characterised by impressive architectural details but it is not conceived to be the most important part of the site. The most important part is the Buddha himself.

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While the temple lies behind the Buddha's back, he enjoys a wonderful view of Changhua which can just as well be appreciated by visitors:

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An important remark is to be made for married couples and lovers: If you go to Bagua Shan once, you will be in great danger of breaking up soon. This is what the statistics say. But there a positive point to it: If you go there once more, the spell will be made undone. So make sure you keep your visits to Bagua Shan even.Then your relationship will be safe and long-lasting. The only problem may, however, be to keep track of your visits... .

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