A vast Mahayana Buddhist monastery and museum complex 30 km east of central Kaohsiung. Even if you have no interest in Buddhism, the scale of the place is something to see — a 50-metre-tall seated Buddha flanked by eight pagodas, broad pilgrim avenues, the Main Shrine with 14,800 small Buddha statues lining its walls, and the Memorial Centre housing what is said to be a tooth of the Buddha.
The complex is free to enter and you can spend several hours walking the grounds. There is a vegetarian restaurant that serves enormous lunchtime buffets to monks and visitors alike. Buses run hourly from Zuoying high-speed rail station; the trip takes about 30 minutes. Modest dress, no shorts above the knee.