Taiwan: On 20 May 2026, a grand celebration of the Buddha’s Birthday and the International Cultural Festival was held at Hsuan Chuang University in Taiwan. The event brought together devotees from different places, monastics representing the three major Buddhist traditions—Chinese (Mahayana), Tibetan, and Southern (Theravada) as well as representatives from the local government and related organisations, alongside the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Principal, faculty members, and students. The programme featured the traditional bathing ceremony of the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and various cultural performances.

At the invitation of the university, Kelsang Gyaltsen, Representative of the Office of Tibet, and Tenzin Namdrol Rinpoche, a professor of Buddhist philosophy, attended the event. The Representative also delivered a congratulatory address.

Furthermore, the President of the International Taiwan Buddhism Association Khenpo Tsewang Rigzin, and Geshe Lharampa Hashen Rinpoche, along with more than 50 monastics from various non-sectarian Tibetan Buddhist traditions, participated in the festival. Khenpo Tsewang Rigzin delivered a welcome speech in Chinese, while the distinct identity of Tibetan Buddhism was showcased through sacred Cham dance performances and the recitation of prayers.

Hsuan Chuang University is one of the leading higher education institutions in Taiwan where Tibetan Buddhist monastics pursue their studies, and courses on Tibetan Buddhism are offered there. In addition, the university’s Centre for Tibetan Buddhist Studies collaborates annually with the Office of Tibet and the University of Tibetan Buddhist Research Centre to host forums that promote discussions on the current status of Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan and ways to advance academic and religious studies.

-Report filed by the Office of Tibet, Taiwan