宝觉寺

I visited PaoChueh temple with friends. The Buddha building is huge and beautiful. For those buddism must visit there and discover the special of it. It is worth to have a look and understand its history.

从台中火车站坐巴士大概20分钟就能到这里,它就在台中公园附近。许多当地人会来这里祭拜他们的祖先,佛像看起来很新,主建筑里还有一尊从正门就能看见的大佛像,开始我都错过了这里,是后来我试图寻找回火车站的汽车时,才发现的这个惊人之作!

Though not as common as in Tainan, there is definitely no shortage of temples in Taichung; tucked away in side alleys or prominently present on main thoroughfares, there are quite a few examples of both Buddhist and Daoist temples to be found everywhere.Baojueshi (as it is transliterated in Hanyu Pinyin) is different however and for three reasons. First of all there is the huge Milofo (or Maitreya) to the right, next to the Buddhist Academy Building. A must for a photo shoot if you're passing through. The building used to be accessible before, but the outside is definitely more impressive than the inside spaces. Then there is the "old temple under the new roof". This was quite an engineering feat since the old building was lifted and rolled out of the way to the front to allow construction of the outside shell that covers it now and then wheeled back to its current location. Finally there is a smaller memorial to the left, right in front of the building where they store the ashes of deceased people. It is good to know that after the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945) all remains of Japanese soldiers were collected and interred here in Taichung at this spot. This explains why there are daily visits of Japanese tourists here: this is the one place that is on most of their itineraries because of that reason alone.

I spent NT$135 by cab from CityInn Hotel Plus - Taichung to PaoChueh Temple because I was holding a luggage. Thereafter I took another cab (NT110) to GanCheng Station to take the Nantou Bus to CingJing.It was worth going because the view was beautiful and the environment was serene and spacious. The Happy Buddha was really really big and pictures taken were beautiful.

Just seeing the big smiling Buddha makes you feel happy. Often overlooked is the main temple to the left as you enter the gate. Next to it is the lesser known Shinto shrine to the right of the main temple. It is a reminder of the time when the Japanese controlled the island from 1895 to 1945. It commemorates the soldiers fighting overseas in World War II. There has been construction since I was there last so there is probably more to see. A relatively short walk to the east is the Confucius Temple and Martyr's Shrine. You need to get some information on when they are open since in the past the Confucius temple was closed on Monday and the shrine only open on the weekend. You can easily spend a morning or afternoon in the area since there is a park between the two sites for sitting and relaxing.

从台中站步行15分钟左右就能看到一尊巨大的弥勒菩萨,很醒目。不用专门来这里观光,从台中站到这里的直线上,有一家豪华的主题餐厅香蕉新乐园,还有日本殖民时代建造的广阔的台中公园,可以一起观光。

A must visit for the religious and curious. Do mot be fooled: the big building covering the old temple is only the small thing to see. Go next door to the right and see the big guy.

三宝佛！庄严殊胜！来到这里就像回家一样温暖，有想哭的冲动，不知为何?！大殿中供著阿弥陀佛、观世音菩萨、地藏王菩萨还有弥勒佛，面容亲切和蔼，眼神千慈万祥，一个合掌一个叩首都能让心灵霎时沉静下来！！！南无阿弥陀佛！

For the moment, I will not dwell on the shock at realizing that this remarkable temple is listed as the No. 10 attraction in Taichung - while the High-Speed train station is listed as No. 1...Makes one wonder who is writing these reviews...At any rate, some friends in Taichung took us to this absolutely delightful temple one sunny afternoon while we were visiting. The sheer scale of the gold Buddha literally stopped me in my tracks. There are pretty gardens and pathways and the area is very well-maintained and peaceful. If you are visiting Taichung come here and spend a good hour - the high-speed train station can definitely wait!

If you need peace and tranquillity, come to PaoChueh Temple. It seems that, despite near to the road, the place seems uhiquely quiet and calm. Furthermore, you will be enlightened s with the huge seven-storey golden Smiling Buddha smiling at you.The place is well-maintained, with the Big Buddha on the right, a temple on the left and Shinto shrine further left.