El He Hua temple It is the largest European Buddhist temple in traditional Chinese style. It is located in the Asian quarter of Amsterdam. Located on the main street of Chinatown, very close to the Barian Reye, was built by the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, a Mahayana community originally from Taiwan. This community has a humanistic Buddhist orientation, aspires to unite all Buddhist schools and promote the dialogue interfaith.
Traditional and lush Buddhist temple
The He Hua, or "Lotus flower", It was built in 2000 on the ruins of a medieval Catholic monastery. The temple impresses with its size, its colors and its decorative richness in front of the sobriety Dutch.
El lotus it symbolizes fulfillment, its roots are united in a muddy earth and despite this it offers magnificent flowers. When the past of the neighborhood, the former capital of the heroin addicts Europeans in the 70s, the name is very evocative. On the other hand, "lotus flower" and Holland share the same etymology in Mandarin.
The entrance is of a traditional type with several doors dedicated to the monks or the laity. The temple consists of several rooms. In the main room there is a statue of Buddha whose hands are loaded with different symbolic objects.
The elements decorative, the tiles and statues of Chinese zodiac animals on the roof were mostly imported from China. Yellow roof and red interior, red is the symbol of good fortune in China. The dragon's vocation is to protect the temple and the community.
Visits and activities of the Buddhist temple of Amsterdam
Sessions of meditation, celebrations, tea ceremony, readings and conferences. The activities of this open Buddhist community are enormous. Every Sunday at 10:30 is the opportunity to listen to the teachings of Buddha. There is also a bookstore open. In addition to these activities, entry is free on condition of respecting the place. You can access a large room where are the Buddhist statues before which the Offerings of fruits. A smell of incense is throughout the temple. Some people pray, there are very beautiful colors and very pleasant smells, the people are nice and the statues They are impressive.