Built in 2000, this gigantic temple-cum-performance venue has a simple yet striking, white-and-grey exterior. At its tallest point, the building is equivalent to 11 storeys high. The main chapel-hall is enormous too, but what makes a visit worthwhile is the extensive and engrossing exhibition floor showcasing the remarkable range of charitable works undertaken by the Tzu Chi Buddhist organisation.
Founded by the remarkable Buddhist nun Cheng Yen, the organisation's efforts are underpinned by a combination of corporate professionalism with a belief that anyone can become a living bodhisattva (enlightened being) through good works. The hall is 1.2km northwest of the train station between Tzu Chi's equally huge hospital and its university.
