Monastery of 10,000 Buddhas
More than 10,000 Buddhas & a Monk (l; $)
Despite its name, the Monastery of 10,000 Buddhas actually contains around 13,000 Buddha statues, reputedly no two alike. You’ll first see life-size figures lining both sides of pathways as you climb more than 400 twisting steps to the monastery (there are two different paths, so plan on taking one path up and the other one down).
At the monastery itself are more Buddha statues, including a main hall with thousands upon thousands of tiny gold statuettes lined up in rows that extend to the ceiling. While impressive, probably most people come to see the man who started it all, monk Yuet Kai who established the temple in the 1950s and wrote 98 books on Buddhism. He died years ago, but his body, embalmed and covered in gold leaf, sits in a glass case in the main hall.
The expansive monastery grounds also contain a nine-story pagoda with good views from the top, animal statues painted a riot of colors, and mausoleums that contain ashes for a high fee (that’s how the monastery makes money), so be sure to wander around. There’s also a simple vegetarian cafeteria, a good place to relax before you tackle all those stairs on the way back down.