CHUNG TAI CHAN MONASTERY

When you arrive, you can't help but wonder about the nature of this great construction: it could just as well be a shopping mall as a business center, such is its immoderation and gigantism - the hall is as big as a cathedral - that it catches the visitor's eye. But once you've got past that first impression, you're caught up in the spirituality of the place. The monks, dressed in modern garb, actively practice the three doctrines of wisdom, charity and Samadhi, according to the philosophy of Master Wei Chueh, offering an experience that is both impressive and deeply soothing.