Since then, the Nan Hua Temple Guesthouse, African Buddhist Seminary (ABS), Nan Hua Village, Assembly Hall , Zen Retreat Centre have been completed and are continuously being upgraded.
The New
Main Temple (right), which will be the ordination hall for African
monks, is near completion.
Our Buddhist community of resident monks and nuns, staff and lay
people, both Chinese and non-Chinese, as well as the Buddhist Seminary
novices help in a variety of religious, cultural, community and
charitable activities. We also cultivate nearby farms. Nan Hua Temple
has opened branches in other South African cities.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun began his communications with the management team of Bronkhorstspruit City Council in 1991. Their Chief Executive, Dr. Hennie Senekal, was visiting Taiwan promoting Bronkhorstspruit investment opportunities. Venerable Master Hsing Yun shared with Dr. Senekal his dream to build a Temple in Africa. A Temple and guesthouse in this area would also attract tourists and other business ventures. The natural beauty, room for growth and industries, available skilled labour, excellent infrastructure and its proximity to Johannesburg, Pretoria, Witbank and the Johannesburg International Airport were the deciding factors for choosing Bronkhorstspruit.
After the meeting in 1991 planning started, and
when design work was put onto paper and fundraising began. The dream
started becoming reality. Both parties signed a contract in Taiwan on 8
March 1992, whereupon Bronkhorstspruit donated 14 hectares of land.
Construction began in October 1992.
95% of the construction materials come from local sources in South
Africa, including the Chinese style concrete castings of the first
floor balcony handrail, which where made in Pretoria. The red wooden
furniture, glazed clay roof tiles and ornaments were imported from
Taiwan. The granite, stone, red clay and bronze ornaments, including
the large bronze bell, came from China. Taiwanese artists executed the
wall paintings on site.
Since October 1993, we first erected a temporary office and temple.
Then we built a Buddhist Seminary with classrooms and accommodation for
about 150. Next we built the guesthouse, including adjacent garages,
parking lots and lawns.
There are five aims of the Nan Hua Temple:
1. Propagate Dharma: Teach the methods of the Buddha so that people my
leave suffering behind and gain joy, to bring true joy to the sentient
beings of Africa.
2. Sangha liberation: Educate local people to be monastics, planting
the seeds of the Bodhi Way (path of wisdom) in Africa.
3. Ordination: To pass down the Buddhas' precepts for liberation and
give refuge to both monastics and laity.
4. Translation of scriptures: To translate the Chinese Tripitaka
(scriptures) into local languages to let Africans also have access to
them.
5. Construct temples: To construct temples for laity and montastics to
live in and practice Buddhism and give sentient beings a place for
learning and practicing the Dharma.
