Services | Religious | Cultural | Educational | Community
Our renowned classical Chinese garden of bonsai, fountains, gazebos, and intricate rock landscapes is open everyday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. We hope to express the profound philosophies of Buddhism through the art of traditional Chinese horticulture.
Our Abbot, the Venerable Guan Cheng, is an avid gardener and has been actively involved in the artistic elements and planting design of this garden from the start. The abbot's remarkable designs and creations are deeply influenced not only by his familiarity with Chinese art and culture, but also by his decades of Buddhist study.
The temple has an extensive collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, donated by master artists and calligraphers who attended the temple's monthly art exhibition, Karma of the Brush. The exhibition was held from 1986 to 1991.
The public may admire these famous paintings and calligraphic works upon the walls throughout the temple.
We show compassion to all living things by abstaining from the consumption of meat. We also promote the religious merits and health benefits of vegetarianism by giving our visitors the opportunity to enjoy vegetarian cuisine at the International Buddhist Temple. The cafeteria is on the ground floor of the Main Gracious Hall, and is open seven days a week, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. Our chefs are skilled in the art of Chinese vegetarian cuisine and offer visitors many exquisite dishes to choose from.
The International Buddhist Temple celebrates Senior's Day each year, in honour of Greater Vancouver's senior citizens. On this day, we offer all seniors with a Gold Care Card a special vegetarian lunch and scheduled entertainment, free of charge. This event is increasingly popular and more than 2,500 seniors have attended to date.
For the first two weeks of the Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival), over 10,000 people visit the temple to pray for a safe and prosperous new year. Visitors can also explore the temple's New Year Bazaar, a grand festival that offers traditional snacks and foods, flower arrangements, Chinese calligraphy demonstrations, exciting raffles, and much more.
On the eve of every Chinese New Year, our abbot leads a special group prayer and chanting ceremony held in our packed Main Gracious Hall to bless all sentient beings for the coming year.
The temple needs your assistance. Please become a volunteer and help us provide better religious, cultural, and educational services to the community.
