The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksArchitectural BuildingsReligious Sites
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Experience the largest Buddhist stupa in the Western world. The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion situated near Bendigo, Victoria, is the same size and design as The Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet. It rises to a total height of 48 metres above Bendigo’s distinctive bushland, and is 50 metres wide at its base. The Great Stupa is home to many holy objects. Foremost amongst these is the magnificent Jade Buddha for Universal Peace which is the largest Buddha carved from gem quality jade in the world. Wander the Peace Park and see beautiful relics and artworks inside The Great Stupa. Learn about Buddhism, Asian culture and art. Treat yourself with an artisan gift from the shop or have a barista-style coffee and a bite to eat at StupaView Café. It’s a pet friendly site as long as your furry friend is kept on a leash.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Granny Takes a Trip
    Sydney, Australia277 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Take some time out to relax
    This is a delightful place to visit. If you need a little peace and quiet pay a visit . You can walk around the gardens , look around inside the Stupa, or just relax I. The little cafe . No noisy doof doof music. Some simple food & drinks . An interesting little shop . A video of the history of this stupa . It’s a half hour drive from Bendigo, and there is a bus from the train station if you don’t have a car . I believe you have to book the bus . You will receive a warm welcome . Try to go on a sunny day , it looks best then .
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 April 2023
  • Lorraine L
    Tarwin Lower, Australia3,012 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't miss this monument when in the area
    A fantastic monument that is relying on donations and volunteers to complete the work. Before we walked over through the extensive gardens to the monument we watched a short video with lots of background information. We spoke to the guide on duty and we were filled in on the work already completed and what still needs to be done. There is one statue carved from a large piece of jade and another that received enough funding to paint it is two layers of 24 carat gold leaf. Right around the outside of the building are prayer barrels which you spin and it sends the prayer up to the relevant deity. The gardens are already looking pretty good but there is still work going on here too. We paid a donation for entry and thought this was a worthwhile stop. there is also a coffee shop in the entry building and the coffee was really good.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 10 June 2023
  • Marty A
    5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing statues
    The displays are very impressive and spectacular. The kids enjoyed finding the animals in the gardens. The enormity of the displays and history in the temple were lost on the them though. It has planted some seeds of curiosity into the minds of some of the older primary school age kids though.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 28 June 2023
  • Jeffry b
    Essendon, Australia14,153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stupa serves as guide on path to Enlightenment
    A stupa is a Buddhist shrine, also known as a pagoda. The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is the largest stupa in the Western world. The shrine is 50 square meters at the base and 50 meters tall. The stupa is a creation in the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism, which is widely practiced in Tibet. The stupa honors Enlightenment, and acts as a guide on the path to Enlightenment. The stupa also contains holy relics. The stupa is quite fascinating, it's in the country. a short drive from Bendigo.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 13 July 2023
  • Essbeebee
    Athelstone, Australia171 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of Australia's best kept secrets
    We came across this a bit by accident and I wasn't really sure what to expect. What I found was one of Australia's best kept secrets. Even though this is a work in progress, it is an incredibly impressive site. It is vast and stunning. The people were so welcoming in classic Buddhist tradition. We visited on a feast day when there were literally thousands of people there and we had to park a long way away, but even that didn't dent the enthusiasm and seeing it with so many people around was actually pretty cool. I'd say a must visit if anywhere nearby.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 October 2023
  • rajinder k
    Lalor, Australia3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Peaceful ✌️
    There is nothing you will be going to regret after visiting this place. Very peaceful atmosphere, relaxing vibes plus free books you can take home. Love to go back once the ceiling project will finish ✅️
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles294 reviews
Excellent
185
Very good
86
Average
16
Poor
3
Terrible
4

atwjp
Moama, Australia11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
Just a fantastic place to visit will definitely travel back to check the progress was friendly place to visit very peaceful
Written 20 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rajinder k
Lalor, Australia3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
There is nothing you will be going to regret after visiting this place. Very peaceful atmosphere, relaxing vibes plus free books you can take home.
Love to go back once the ceiling project will finish ✅️
Written 16 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Essbeebee
Athelstone, Australia171 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We came across this a bit by accident and I wasn't really sure what to expect. What I found was one of Australia's best kept secrets. Even though this is a work in progress, it is an incredibly impressive site. It is vast and stunning. The people were so welcoming in classic Buddhist tradition. We visited on a feast day when there were literally thousands of people there and we had to park a long way away, but even that didn't dent the enthusiasm and seeing it with so many people around was actually pretty cool. I'd say a must visit if anywhere nearby.
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RAYMOND M
Bendigo, Australia248 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
My religion is Buddhist , this is temple is close for me and it is absolutely amazing . inside so beautiful , they offer a number of classes for example meditation ,
a fantastic place to for tourist to visit and any donations go towards the maintaining of the temple.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia14,153 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Friends
A stupa is a Buddhist shrine, also known as a pagoda. The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is the largest stupa in the Western world. The shrine is 50 square meters at the base and 50 meters tall. The stupa is a creation in the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism, which is widely practiced in Tibet. The stupa honors Enlightenment, and acts as a guide on the path to Enlightenment. The stupa also contains holy relics. The stupa is quite fascinating, it's in the country. a short drive from Bendigo.
Written 14 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rhonda jane
Yarra Valley, Australia17 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Just awesome the people were lovely the gardens are very nice the temple was great we enjoyed reading the stories all up great experience
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marty A
5 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
The displays are very impressive and spectacular. The kids enjoyed finding the animals in the gardens. The enormity of the displays and history in the temple were lost on the them though. It has planted some seeds of curiosity into the minds of some of the older primary school age kids though.
Written 28 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lorraine L
Tarwin Lower, Australia3,012 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Friends
A fantastic monument that is relying on donations and volunteers to complete the work. Before we walked over through the extensive gardens to the monument we watched a short video with lots of background information. We spoke to the guide on duty and we were filled in on the work already completed and what still needs to be done. There is one statue carved from a large piece of jade and another that received enough funding to paint it is two layers of 24 carat gold leaf. Right around the outside of the building are prayer barrels which you spin and it sends the prayer up to the relevant deity. The gardens are already looking pretty good but there is still work going on here too. We paid a donation for entry and thought this was a worthwhile stop. there is also a coffee shop in the entry building and the coffee was really good.
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tee
Melbourne, Australia19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Fantastic and dog friendly. Absolutely beautiful. Give yourself at least 1.5 hours. The car park closes at 5pm, so make sure you arrive by 3:00pm.
Written 19 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lananarry
Sydney92 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
The site is very peaceful and provides a good exposure to other cultures and religions. Go there to see why tolerance is so important to our future.
Written 27 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo

Frequently Asked Questions about The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is open:
  • Mon - Fri 09:00 - 17:00
  • Sat - Sun 10:30 - 17:00