Interfaith Harmony Week Commemorated in Taiwan

Poya Chang
February 4, 2012
UPF -- Taiwan

Kaohsiung, Taiwan -- The program for World Interfaith Harmony Week in Taiwan was a trip on February 4 to the recently inaugurated Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center in Kaohsiung.

There were 28 participants consisting of Ambassadors for Peace and friends from various religious backgrounds led by the President of UPF-Taiwan, Dr. Poya Chang. Nineteen of them took the high-speed train from Taipei to Kaohsiung, a city in southwestern Taiwan, demonstrating the importance they placed on this trip.

The group was well received with warm hospitality arranged by the Secretary of Fo Guang Shan, Mr. Lin Li Kuo. Information about the UPF Founder and his vision for an interfaith council was given to Mr. Lin to present to the Founder of Fo Guang Shan, the Venerable Master Hsing Yun Soon.

Taiwan is blessed with a strong influence by Far Eastern religions, especially Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and many new religious groups that promote unity among the Far Eastern religions. Thus, visiting religious sites, especially of the four Taiwanese Buddhist groups -- Dharma Drum Mountain, Chung Tai Mountain, Fo Guang Shan, and Tzu Chi -- is an important part of the preparation for forming an interfaith peace council. Delegations from UPF-Taiwan will continue to pay visits to religious sites to introduce the vision of an interfaith peace council.