Taiwan: Guanyin statue (left) and dragon near the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, Lotus Lake, Kaohsiung

Guanshiyin or Avalokitesvara is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin which means 'Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World'. Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus then sent home to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī. It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara, which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered in Daoism as an Immortal. In Japan, Guanyin is called Kannon.

Lotus Pond or Lotus Lake (Chinese: 蓮池潭; pinyin: Liánchí Tán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liân-tî-thâm) opened in 1951, and is famous for the lotus plants on the lake and the numerous temples around the lake, including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣), the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔), and the Confucian Temple (孔廟).

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

David Henley

Credit:

Pictures From Asia