A Palace of Brahma

The venue of the Wuxi phase of the 2nd WBF, Fangong (Brahma Palace) on Lingshan Mountain, was newly completed as the third-phase project of the Lingshan Buddhism Resort.

Covering a floor space of more than 70,000 square meters, Fangong comprises a meeting center, an exhibition center, a performance center and a ceremony hall. Atop the building are five gilded lotus pagodas, designed referring to the Diamond Throne in Bodh Gaya in northeastern India, considered the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment. The façade of Fangong contains five golden gates, of which the four on the east and west sides are inlaid with Chinese characters at the golden doorheads, meaning “Infinite Mercy,” “Perfect Wisdom,” “Great Virtue,” and “Sincere Vow,” respectively. Alongside the five pagodas, which represent Buddhas of the Five Directions, these fully embody the belief system of Chinese Buddhism. The doorhead of the central gate is inlaid with four golden characters meaning “Grand Gathering on Holy Mountain,” a name derived from the legend telling of Buddha preaching on the Holy Mountain in India, with throngs of Buddhists gathering to listen. The name of this place, Lingshan, literally means Holy Mountain.

The interior decoration of Fangong features Chinese Buddhist cultural elements represented in awe-inspiring ways. The exquisitely crafted Dongyang woodcarvings, Ousu relief paintings, and Jingdezhen porcelains fully convey the illustriousness of Chinese culture. More notably, the elegant Western oil painting was also adopted in the interior decoration, producing a particular artistic effect. The Painting of Worldwide Buddhist Dharma Teachings contains 12 vertical paintings, each exceeding 20 square meters. The subjects of the paintings span 2,000 years, a rare achievement in the global history of art. Dominating the main wall of the grand lobby is an 80-square-meter work of colorful glazed glass named “Lotus Treasury World,” projecting an inspiring visual impact. These fantastic works of art, all attributed to young Chinese artists, contributed to Fangong being an unparalleled artistic masterpiece.