Fifty-Three Visits: Also referred to as Sudhana’s Fifty-three Visits, this narrative follows a young man named Sudhana who embarks on a journey to meet fifty-three Virtuous Wisdoms (or Knowledge of Benevolence) in search of the ultimate path to enlightenment or Bodhi. As the youngest son of Elder Fucheng, Sudhana’s birth was marked by extraordinary signs, including a sudden appearance of countless treasures in their home, leading to his name, which translates to “the Child of Good Fortune.” According to the Avatamsaka Sutra: Entry into the Dharma Realm, Sudhana aimed to grasp the essence of diverse Buddhist sects. Upon meeting the Manjushri Bodhisattva, he was instructed to visit the fifty-three Virtuous Wisdoms to discover the Way. He resolved to cultivate Bodhicitta and diligently sought guidance from fifty-three Virtuous Wisdoms, which included Bodhisattvas, the Buddha's mother, bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, young practitioners, celestial and terrestrial deities, the Lord of the Night, rulers, city leaders, elders, laypeople, young boys, heavenly maidens, virgins, heterodox thinkers, and Brahmins, following their teachings. During his twenty-seventh encounter with Guanyin Bodhisattva, she tested his sincerity and determination by urging him to turn back, but he remained undeterred. His steadfast will and deep devotion earned him recognition from Guanyin Bodhisattva, who made him her attendant. In his concluding visit, the fifty-third, to the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, he attained all the samadhi gates, as numerous as the dust particles across all Buddhist realms, ultimately reaping the desired results. Having journeyed through one hundred and ten cities and met fifty-three Virtuous Wisdoms, Sudhana's tale is aptly titled “Fifty-Three Visits.”

2. The Vairocana HallLocated north of Mahavira Hall, the Vairocana Hall at the Grand Buddha Monastery occupies the first floor of the Pujue Building, part of the Buddhist Cultural Center. This complex spans 18,834 square meters, comprising seven floors above ground covering 13,161 square meters and two underground floors totaling 5,673 square meters, along with a 2,815 square meter basement. It hosts various activities, including meditation, cultural and educational functions, circulation, vegetarian dining, and management, but excludes worship and offerings to the Buddha: those occur in Mahavira Hall. During the temple’s reconstruction, traditional courtyards and low structures proved inadequate, making a multi-storey building the clear choice.

The roof of the entire Buddhist cultural building is golden, harmonizing with the Mahavira Hall, while the facade's wooden structure exhibits a polemo wood color. The walls are tiled in hues resembling green bricks, with the interior featuring a predominantly subdued color palette that conveys solemnity, complementing the Mahavira Hall's aesthetic. Situated in a northern urban location, the site receives limited sunlight, necessitating enhancements in color contrast and structural concavity for optimal backlight visibility.

Within the Vairocana Hall, the Three Saints of Huayan from the Avatamsaka Sutra are enshrined: Vairocana Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

The Vairocana Buddha: known as the Great Sun Tathagata. Vairocana is the general term for the Dharmakaya of all Buddhas, and the ultimate nature of all Buddhas. The Vairocana Buddha is the Lord of the Lotus World (the Pure Land of the Buddha's Sambhogakaya) as described in Avatamsaka Sutra. The lotus pedestal on which he sits is a thousand-petal lotus flower, with a Nirmanakaya of the Sakyamuni Buddha on each lotus petal which represents one of the three-thousand great worlds. Actually, the whole lotus pedestal represents the Lotus World. Vairocana means all-pervasiveness. Namely, the Buddha is pure, all-pervasive, detached from any grievances, blessed with all the virtues, being capable of sustaining the material world and its various forms, and hence with unbounded real merits. Vairocana represents Dharmata (法性，如如自性), the equal, true nature/essence of all phenomenon, that is, our True Nature (自性，真如本性). So, it is also called Darmakaya（法身）.

Manjusri: also known as the Manjusri Buddhisattva, is the embodiment of wisdom. Manjusri, looking carefree, elegant and graceful, is usually represented as sitting cross-legged on a lion, holding a sword (representing wisdom) which means breaking up the worries and annoyances of all sentient beings.  Driving a lion symbolizes the power and the bravery of wisdom, which is able to awaken the deluded sentient beings with a fearless, fierce lion. Samantabhadra: Samantabhadra is also known as Puxian Bodhisattva, symbolizing the virtue of disciplining action and representing the Buddhist practice. Holding a sword in his right hand and making the Wish-granting Seal with his left hand, Samantabhadra is enbodied as sitting half-legged on top of a white elephant with six tusks. As it is physically powerful, but is soft and gentle in nature, the elephant means tempering without hurting or violence and acting with great power like that of a virtuous dragon. Such representation of Samantabhadra means that the Bodhisattva is kind, powerful and gentle-natured.

3. The Devaraja HallThe Devaraja Hall is located at the southern end of the temple complex and is the first hall. Made of Burmese teak, the hall is constructed with mortise and tenon joints, without a single nail. It not only demonstrates the ingenuity of traditional techniques but also reflects the wisdom and aesthetic style of ancient Chinese architecture. The mortise and tenon structure does not require a single nail or rivet. Still, the individual components are closely connected with each other to form a solid and stable structure by a precise fit between the wood only. The main components of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, such as beams, pillars, arches, square purlins, etc., are all connected by mortise and tenon joints. The whole building has skillfully realised the unity of strength and beauty without destroying the natural texture of the timber or the structural mechanics of the building. Inside the hall are enshrined the Maitreya Buddha, the Skanda Bodhisattva, and the four Heavenly Kings on both sides. The Maitreya Buddha: The Buddha of infinite mercy, which is the primary of the four unlimited virtues of the mind of the Buddha. Maitreya is often incarnated in the image of a compassionate and joyful, smiling, amiable, big-bellied monk, symbolizing the freedom, open-mindedness, and immense tolerance in Buddhist wisdom. In the Hall of Heavenly Kings of Grand Buddha Monastery is enshrined the big-bellied Maitreya Bodhisattva, 1.5 meters in height, with the left hand holding the cosmic-containing pouch (or the Cloth-sack) , the right hand holding beads, bare chest, with expressions of joy and wit. The Maitreya Bodhisattva statue there, from the feet to the top, is mold from a single piece of cliff cypress tree, which enjoys the reputation of “biological living fossil” in the world. The Skanda Bodhisattva: or General Veda, is the guardian warrior of the temple and protects the temple and its practitioners in the form of a general. He wears a phoenix-winged helmet, a yellow-locket armor, a foot in black-clouded soap shoes. Holding a vajra, he makes a great vow that he will uphold and protect the Dharma with his invulnerable body in response to the Buddha's appearance in the world. In the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the standing statue of Skanda, is two meters in height. Like the Maitreya Bodhisattva, this statue is mold of cliff cypress. With one hand holding a vajra mortar, the other hand on the hip, this standing statue of the Skanda Bodhisattva, embodies both the radiance of benevolence of Skanda in ”innocence and tranquility“ and the valor, courage and the heroism to suppress the evil.

Devaraja : the Eastern Guardian King of Heaven, the Southern Heavenly King of Growth, the Western Wide-eyed Heavenly King, and the Northern Well-informed King of Heaven. The Four Heavenly Kings represent “Wind”, “Tuning”, “Rain”, and “Smoothness” respectively, signifying “auspiciousness”. Dhritarastra: the Eastern Guardian King of Heaven : Holding a pipa, a musical instrument, is the Eastern King of Heaven. He is particularly responsible for “Holding”, namely, the tuning of the pipa. He lives on the gold platform of Mount Sumeru, in white body, wearing armor and holding a pipa in his hand. He is the main God of Music, indicating that the Eastern King protects the living beings with the sound of Dharma , guarding the Purvavideha (东胜神州) where the ground is made of gold. Virudhaka: the Southern Heavenly King of Growth that symbolises “Growth” by holding a sword in his hand. He is responsible for tuning or taking care of the wind. He dwells on the glazed platform on Mt. Sumeru, in a green body, wearing armour and holding a sword. The Southern King is responsible for guarding the Jambudvipa (南赡部洲), which has glaze for the ground. Virupaksa: the Western Wide-eyed Heavenly King : Holding a dragon or a snake is the Western Wide-eyed Heavenly King. With “wide-eyed” in his name, his duty is of smoothing. Living on the white-cloud platform of Mount Sumeru, he is red in body, wearing armor, as the leader of dragons, as shown in his hand coiled by a red dragon. The Western Wide-eyed King of Heaven is responsible for guarding Aparagodaniya(西牛贺洲), where it is silver-grounded. Dhanada or Vaisravana: the Northern Well-informed King of Heaven : The one holding an umbrella is the Northern King of Heaven, named as the “well-informed”, who is responsible for taking care of the rain. Dwelling on the crystal platform of Mount Sumeru, he has a green body, wearing armour, with the right hand holding a precious umbrella (a treasure streamer) to protect Uttarakuru (北俱芦洲), which has crystal for the ground.

4. The Ksitigarbha HallThe Ksitigarbha Hall of Grand Buddha Monastery is southeast of the Mahavira Hall, where is enshrined the holy statue of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, which is carved from Canadian juniper. The statue is 5 meters high, the left hand holding the Mani jewel, the right hand holding a staff(khakkara), and the right foot on the ghost gate. On either side of the statue stand two attendants: the monk, Dao Ming, on the left, and the lay Buddhist, Min Gong, on the right. Behind the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, there are two rounds of sculpture on the backlight: the inner round carved with five Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas, so that there are six in total. This figure represents that the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva performs his duty of teaching and salvaging beings in the six paths of life, with the hell being the main one. The outer backlight is engraved with the ten Dharma realms, ascending from the realm of Hell to the realm of the Buddha. Because of his great wish to enlighten all living beings in the six paths of life and death, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva often appears in the six paths of Man, Hell and Heaven and is thus known as the Six Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas.

5. The Guanyin Hall

The Guanyin Hall is located to the southwest of the Mahavira Hall of Grand Buddha Monastery. The hall is dedicated to the ten-thousand-hand Guanyin wood statue, carved with the mild texture of Canadian juniper, embodying Guanyin Bodhisattva's compassion, grace and solemnity. The statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva is represented as sitting on the lotus pedestal, nodding and looking downward, with demure, peaceful and propitious facial expressions, with Buddha's crown on the head and jewels on the chest, dressed in heavenly garments and colorful ribbons, holding a treasure in both hands, with the lotus seat below engraved with the images of auspicious clouds. Guanyin Bodhisattva looks elegant and graceful, demure and dignified. In the center, the palms of two hands clasp together, upholding Sakyamuni Buddha’s statue. Right over her head is the Amitabha Buddha, feet on the dragons and turtles, surrounded by eight dragons in total on the right and the left. On the right and left of Guanyin stand Nagakanya holding Ruyi and Sudhana clasping his hands together, respectively, to guard the compassion and wisdom of the Boddhisattva. As “ten-thousands” means infinity and consummation, “ten thousand hands” represents the infinite vastness of compassion, and “ten thousand eyes” represents the perfect and unobstructed wisdom of the Boddhisattva. In fact, the “ten thousand hands” signifies Guanyin’s protection of all sentient beings and the “ten thousand eyes” signifies the Boddhisattva’s universal observation of the world.

6. The God of Fortune Hall

God of Fortune Hall is in the west of the Maravira Hall, where are enshrined Guan Gong, the Military God of Wealth；Wang Hai, the founder of the Chinese business community；Guang Ji Nagaraja； Fan Li, the Civil God of Wealth and the Sage of Commerce；and (Yellow) Zambhala, a guardian and the God of Wealth.  

Bodhisattva Guangji, the Loong King, known as Manjusri Loong King, is a Bodhisattva in Buddhism. He is depicted in the classics as a divine Loong with supernatural power and extraordinary wisdom. With benevolence, Boddhisattva Guangji the Loong King makes positive karmic connections with and benefit the multitude, delivering them from suffering. He has such vast power and magical abilities that he fulfills their wishes at their requests. With a dignified appearance, a golden face and a strong body, as well as raised eyebrows and warring eyes, he sits on a throne in a Loong robe, a crown on his head, a percussion instrument in his hand, extending favor and grace to all the world with a gesture of compassion and divine authority. In fact, popularly known as Wuyie (五爷), he is the guardian of Buddhism, in charge of the flow of wealth in the world. All beings that sincerely consecrate Wuyie will unlock the gate to fortune and prosperity and have access to endless sources of wealth and blessings.

Another guardian，the God of Wealth, (Yellow) Zambhala, is the King of the God of Wealth. He has a golden form, an angry face, and a belly as big as an altar. Decorated with a jewel chain of Ruyi, with the right hand holding the Mani bead, the left hand a treasure-generating-and-spitting beast, he sits in the hall with pride and majesty, escorted by crowds of the holy and miraculous God of Wealth. As a guardian and the God of Wealth, Zambhala, is the God that protects the Dharma of Buddhism, taking charge of treasure and wealth. With pray from the multitude, the guardian and the God of Wealth will bestow the wealth of good karma to them, making them benefit from the blessings and become auspicious and consummate.

Fan Li, a real history figure, the prime minister of Yue Kingdom in the Waring States period(475-221 B.C),being regarded as the Civil God of Wealth, is talented and intelligent, honored as the God of Wealth and the Head of Business Pilgrims. He is venerated as such, “Presenting loyalty to the country and contributing his great talent, protecting himself to gain safety in history with superb intellect, showing magical ability in business managing and treasure accumulation, and leaving a legend as a man of wealth, which is hard to be buried.” In fact, he was not only good at trade, but also good at finance and economics, and his wealth was piled up like a gold mountain. As he was kind and charitable in different ways on different occasions, he was honored as the Civil God of Wealth. With a solemn figure, a smile in his face, a rounded waist and a thick back, wearing a long shirt of a merchant, holding a golden Ruyi in his left hand and a precious crown in his right, he looks easy, gentle and elegant on the throne, well-admired and followed by generations of merchants. As the God of Business Management, Fan Li, the Civil God of Wealth, is competent in financial management and wealth generation, hence is often worshipped by learners of business and people from all walks of life who pray for the blessings of financial prosperity and for a brilliant business journey.

Guan Gong, also a real history figure, the famous general of Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period(220-265 A.D), being regarded as the Military God of Wealth, is proficient in arithmetic, advocating credibility and righteousness. In fact, he creates the method of clearing accounts, thus becoming the guardian god in the hearts of merchants, honored as the god to attract wealth and treasures in the folklore. He appears as clad in battle armor, with a dark red face like a ripe date, beard as long as waist-length, wielding an Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, with his right hand supporting the knees, and left hand twisting the beard. He sits there in the hall in an image of immense righteousness in the middle of the temple, admired and venerated by countless chivalrous heroes and businessmen. As a god of loyalty and trustworthiness, Guan Gong, the Military God of Wealth, is a model among warriors and a guardian of merchants. He is often honored by fans of martial arts as well as businessmen and people from all walks of life, who pray for the protection in order to have prestige and financial prosperity.

Wang Hai is the ancestor of Chinese merchants, the seventh king of the Shang tribe in the Xia Dynasty. To the people of Shang Dynasty, Wang Hai possessed supreme divine power and used to be worshipped in the ritual of making offerings to Heaven, by people praying for a good harvest and auspiciousness. With a demure appearance, a kind face and a stout figure, he wears a precious crown on his head and a gorgeous robe, holding the Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita in his right hand. Sitting on the seat in a beneficent and helpful posture, with mildness and majesty, he has been admired and relied upon by countless people since the Shang Dynasty. As the pioneer of commercial civilization and the ancestor of trade, he is often held in the highest esteem by businessmen and people from all walks of life praying for wisdom and divine power, because they hope that Wang Hai will grant them merits and chances to make their business thrive and commerce prosper.