Deeply touched by the garden temple in a rainy afternoon. All the buildings are classic and comfort me naturally. My friends and I joined the memorial event of the DDM founder, Master Sheng Yen. What surprise me was the silence in a big hall with thousands people. Definitely recommend.

1. Tip 1: Important!!!! call the temple in advance before going.
We didn’t know that there was an event going on the day we rashly just showed up at the door. As a result the volunteers at the car park regretfully and very politely turned away with gifts (these include cards, brochures, books and a note from the abbot).

2. Tip 2: fill in the registration form for visitors on their website. I got smarter the second time I tried to visit and called in advance. The staff then asked me to fill in the online registration form. Best decision ever. Based on the information we provided, the staff then arranged a volunteer guide for us, Mr Wang, who was awesome and explained many things to us which we otherwise would not have known. He even took into account the amount of time we have and planned the guided tour accordingly.

3. Tip 3: if you hired a driver and you are having lunch at the temple, you can check with the driver in advance if s/he wants a vegetarian meal. If yes, let the temple know. The temple staff offered to prepare a bento for our driver in advance. S/he can also go to the zhai tang (food hall) for a vegetarian meal.

4. Tip 4: Providing the temple with your car plate number in advance allows the security guard to clear the vehicle and allow you drive up to the temple instead of having to drop you off at the car park.

5. Tip 5: the vegetarian meals there are delicious! If you plan to have lunch there, do let the temple know (just fill in the aforementioned form!) so that they can prepare the food. There is a donation box outside the food hall.

6. Tip 6: mealtimes at the temple are highly organized and disciplined. If you are a Buddhist (a Chinese Buddhist in particular) you might be at ease. However if this is your first cultural experience, you might feel a bit bewildered.

As a tip, the following behaviors are typically considered bad form:
A. Wasting food.
B. Walking around haphazardly like you are in your back garden.
C. Talking loudly or making loud noises with your chairs, utensils, and whatnots.
Don’t worry - there are guides stationed in the food hall for everything else.

Dharma Drum is a beautiful and serene temple worth visiting. The staff and volunteers are extremely friendly and disciplined. It was an incredibly wonderful experience. I am very grateful for the privilege of visiting.

Peaceful, tranquil lands and humble temples in Dharma Drum Mountain clean dusts and noises from urban lifes. Views of mountains and water are especially inspiring. Sculptures of Buddha and related art works are admirable. A must see place is not only for religious people but also for persons looking for inspiration and awakenings.