Northern Qi Buddha bust. Image courtesy of Tsz Shan Monastery
Expanding on its portfolio of educational programs, Hong Kong’s Tsz Shan Monastery (TSM) is launching the “Buddhist Art and Culture Foundation Course 2025” in early spring. Located in Tai Po and founded by business grandee Li Ka Shing, TSM is one of the largest monasteries in Hong Kong. It also features one of the most well-resourced museums of Buddhist art in the city, which is famously located underneath its iconic Guanyin statue.
Titled Fojiao yishu yu wenhua jichu kecheng [佛教藝術與文化基礎課程] in Chinese, TSM teamed up with top scholars and experts to jointly plan an exciting program for students to discover a fresh face of Buddhist art.
The course charts the development of early Chinese Buddhist art, first by introducing how the first Buddhist statues and visual traditions from India came to China, and how cultural exchange, artistic learning, and aesthetic innovation transformed Buddhist art, while also reshaping the spiritual and cultural landscape of East Asia.
Through high-tech multimedia and 3D study of Buddhist material culture, ranging from statues and murals to textiles and caves (as well as studying the evolution of Buddhist beliefs in time and space), students will transcend geographical and spiritual boundaries, and interpret the powerful moments of Buddhist art that speak directly to the heart. Lessons will be taught by a team of experts with a distinguished track record in Buddhist art research.
The first lesson launches on 23 February and will carry on until 11 May. Students will be given a written exam on the day of the last lesson. Please see the full schedule below.
2025
February 23 (Sunday)
March 2, 9, 16 (Sundays) and 22 (Saturday)
April 6, 13, 27 (Sundays)
May 11 (Written exam) (Sunday)
You can apply at the link here and also find out more information about the course (Chinese only).
See more
佛教藝術與文化基礎課程 2025 (Chinese only)
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