Nan Hua Buddist Temple, Bronkhorstspruit
Fo Guang Shan means “Buddha’s Light Mountain” and refers to a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order founded in Taiwan in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The order promotes humanistic buddhism and aims to make this philosophy and way of life relevant in the world. The popularity of this order has spread around the world and the magnificent Nan Hau Temple in Bronkhorstspruit - about an hour’s drive from Johannesburg along the N4 highway towards Witbank - is testament to this fact. The temple, with its seminary, is the largest in Africa.
The Nan Hua Buddist Temple. Photo courtesy andre.vanrooyen
In 1858, a group of Voortrekkers (Afrikaans speaking white settlers) moved to the Bronkhorstspruit creek, which was originally called Kalkoenkrans Rivier (Turkey Ridge River). In 1880 fighting took place here in the early days of the First South African (Anglo Boer) War. In June 1897, the South African Republic recognised Bronkhorstspruit officially although there is disagreement about how the town got its name. Some believe it was named after a farmer, Mr Bronkhorst, while others suggest its origins are linked to an endemic plant, the Bronkorst. Bronkhorstspruit grew to be a small farming town and is located 50km east of Pretoria.
Land was donated to the Fo Guang Shan order by the Bronkhorstspruit City Council and building of the temple began in October 1992 at a cost of more than R60-million. Funds for this massive undertaking were provided by the order and the large Taiwanese community in South Africa. The Chinese Buddhist Centre developed as an educational and cultural complex with an ethos to engage with and assist communities. Work includes prison outreach and charity. The Chinese New Year is celebrated and the temple is open to the public who can book in for retreats.
The seminary attracts novices from all over Africa and the varied interns commit to a three-year period of study at the temple. The annual head-shaving ceremony is a symbolic demonstration of the devotees’ willingness to start a new life by turning their backs on materialism and embracing Buddha teachings that promote love, kindness, tolerance and peace.
A visit to the temple is an interesting aesthetic treat. The large scale of the front gates, the buildings and the steps to the temple are impressive. On special days like Buddha’s birthday the grounds are festively decorated. The elaborate architecture and large statues of Buddha are reminiscent of those seen in temples overseas and, as such, are unexpected in the farmlands of Bronkhorstspruit.
Here you can also find tranquillity and inspiration as do people of Taiwanese descent who come to worship in an environment they believe is a home away from home.