The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre was reopened to the public yesterday, following the completion of renovations that began last December.
The ceremony was attended by the Portuguese architect and sculptor Cristina Maria de Faria Rocha Leiria, who designed the 20-metre statue of Kun Iam that rises above the centre on the Macao waterfront.
The statue and centre were first built in 1999. Kun Iam (Guanyin in romanised Mandarin) is the Cantonese name of the Buddhist divinity (or bodhisattva) known as Avalokiteśvara. Though dubbed a “goddess” in English, Kun Iam – who has a traditional association with Macao – is often presented as genderless in Buddhist, Taoist and Chinese folk iconography.
The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre was established with a “message of solidarity and rapprochement between people” that goes “beyond Buddhism,” according to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, which runs the facility. Displays and educational materials cover both Western and Asian philosophy and religious thought, but with a particular emphasis on the teachings of Buddha, Lao Tse and Confucius.
There is also a Contemplation Room for meditation and reading, and a multipurpose hall used for conferences and film screenings.
To mark the reopening, an exhibition of Kun Iam inspired sculptures by Rocha Leiria was also unveiled. The exhibition will run until 13 March and admission is free. The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, including public holidays, but is closed on Fridays.
