TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The head from a statue of the Buddha fell to the ground Wednesday (April 24) after a series of earthquakes struck Hualien County.
A post on the Facebook page Suhua Highway said the Buddha statue was at Henan Temple in Hualien County, Shoufeng Township, the epicenter of many of the quakes.
It said the statue was that of the Bhaisajyaguru, also known as the “Medicine Buddha," which was consecrated on Nov. 12. “Today, he sacrificed his life for the people,” read the statement.
Henan Temple on Thursday (April 23) said on its Facebook page that due to the aftershocks and for reasons of safety, its group meditation session had been postponed. The post added the temple would also be temporarily closed for safety reasons.
On Thursday (April 25), the temple added: “It is fortunate for Taiwan to bear the karma for sentient beings.”
The temple hopes that Liu Chien-chung (劉建忠), head of the Buddhist association that funded the construction of the statue “will renew his vow and for virtuous believers to assist in rebuilding and safeguarding the area affected by the damage to the Medicine Buddha statue.”
The Medicine Buddha statue was planned by Liu, who commissioned Hualien stone carving artist Wei Yung-hsien (魏永賢) to sculpt it based on the Northern Wei Dynasty statues such as the Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, reported Keng Sheng Daily News. The statue depicts the Medicine Buddha holding a bowl in his left hand and a tin staff in his right hand.
The statue is 10 meters tall and stands on a cluster of lotus flowers. The base is engraved with images depicting the Medicine Buddha's 12 Great Vows.


