Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, NC Celebrates Lunar New Year with Culture and Joy
- Apr 24
- 4 min read
[Report by Xinyu in North Carolina, USA]
On February 1st, 2025, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in North Carolina hosted the annual Fo Guang New Year Fair, featuring cultural performances, vegetarian food stalls, blessing ceremonies, and traditional craft activities. The event created a festive and vibrant atmosphere, attracting over 400 participants. This year, new additions included a tea ceremony area and a sutra transcription section, allowing visitors to experience the joy of Chan (Zen) through tea appreciation and mindful practice.
Venerable Miao Jou, the superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina, delivered a warm welcome, encouraging attendees to make vows before the Buddha, seek the blessings and protection of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and face challenges with strength. She also shared the Dharma words for the year of the snake by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founding master of Fo Guang Shan: "Keep Going, the Future is Bright," wishing everyone peace and success in the new year.
The cultural performances, hosted by Jill Chen, elder advisor of the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) North Carolina chapter, included interactive riddles that engaged the audience and enhanced the festive spirit. The performances showcased the beauty of Chinese traditional arts, featuring an Auspicious Lion Dance, a Guzheng (Chinese zither) performance, a Chinese Filial Piety Dance, "The Lovely Kids Celebrating the Chinese New Year" children's show, a Silk Fan Dance, a Children’s Peking Opera performance, and the Fo Guang Dharma Drum Performance.
During the Lunar New Year period, a "Wishing Tree" was placed in the Main Shrine, where participants could write prayer cards for blessings. The temple also provided Six-Syllable Mantra Talismans for attendees to take home as symbols of peace and protection. Many devotees also lit lamps before the Buddha or made food offerings as acts of merit.
The hands-on activity area provided various cultural experiences, including one-stroke calligraphy printing, writing Spring Festival couplets, origami, and paper cutting. Children especially loved the origami section, where they could fold colorful paper snakes that moved flexibly. The Three Acts of Goodness children's class at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina guided young visitors in making "slithering snakes", drawing a large crowd. At times, when seating was insufficient, children stood eagerly, fully engaged in their crafts.
The vegetarian food stalls offered a variety of delicious dishes, including wontons, wheel cakes, skewered tofu (Bo Bo Chuan), vegetarian meatballs, fried spring rolls, turnip cakes, and bubble tea. The enticing aromas and flavors drew long lines of eager visitors, adding to the lively and bustling atmosphere.
Officer Calvin Mitchell from the Raleigh Police Department, representing the Interfaith Community Ambassadors for Responsive Engagement (I-CARE) program, and Judah Segal, a representative of the Jewish community, were among the honored guests. Mitchell praised the event as a wonderful family-friendly gathering and expressed hope for future interfaith community exchanges. Segal, who attended with three generations of his family, shared that his grandson enjoyed the event so much that he didn’t want to leave.
Local visitors reflected that the meditation session before sutra transcription brought them a deep sense of peace and relaxation. Many also mentioned that experiencing "Tea Chan" for the first time left a lasting impression.
Andrew Byerly, a volunteer responsible for one-stroke calligraphy printing, shared that explaining the technique to visitors helped him overcome his shyness and connect with more people. Through this event, he deeply understood Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s "Four Givings"—giving others confidence, joy, hope, and convenience.
Na Lin, a volunteer at the Tea Chan area, described her experience of serving tea as both unique and fulfilling. Each time she handed a cup of tea to a guest, she was rewarded with a smile. The experience also allowed her to hear people's life stories, broadening her perspective.
Na Lin’s 12-year-old son, Mingyan Pang, participated in the cultural performances, singing a Peking Opera piece, "Dingjun Mountain: This Letter Came Just in Time." He expressed his deep appreciation for the welcoming atmosphere and cultural richness of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina. He hoped that through his performance, he could spread joy and inspire more people to appreciate traditional Chinese culture.
